Princeps Serpentum RSHG
by Severus Sortiarius
Summary: The disgruntled son of a fallen wizarding world hero returns home after being away in North America during the duration of the second wizarding war as per his father's instruction only to find his father had been slain in the final battle and his mother passes 19 years after, enter Harry Potter, token hero of the wizarding world about to face a new threat to his well fought peace.
1. Prologue:The Prince Of Sorrow

**_Princeps Serpentum_ RSHG**

 **A SS/HG fanfic by Severus Sortiarius**

 _ **A/N:I OWN NOTHING, This is for my amusement and others if you feel so incline to venture with me...The Characters and all rights Belong to J.K. Rowling, but I like to venture into her playground...particularly when it comes to a certain Potions Master...No Money is being made off this...and I'm quite alright with that...Stress relief and letting my imagination run wild is all I care about here...and of course Reviews...I'll try and watch my spelling but it does tend to go awry in the heat of the moment when typing so bare with me...RATED M and it's not changing...I won't be as descriptive as some other writers out of respect to the characters, but I will make them HUMAN.**_

 **WARNING: Contains Mature Content...M FOR MATURE...Violence, Abuse, Torture, Sexual Content, Dark Themes, Language, Imprisonment**

 _ **{A/N: This fanfic is a response to Adam Driver looking a lot like Alan Rickman as Snape, and I figured if he had been able to play Snape's son this is how I wanted the story to go...This is a re-post for those of you whom have read this before...}**_

 _ **Prologue: The Prince Of Sorrow**_

 _ **{"She's out on the corner trying to catch a glimpse...Nothing's making sense...She's been chasing an answer...A sign lost in the abyss, this Metropolis...She says "Yeah, he's still coming, just a little bit late"...He got stuck at the Five and Dime saving the day"...She says "If life was a movie, then it wouldn't end like this"...Left without a kiss...Still, she smiles, oh the way she smiles, yeah...She's talking to angels, she's counting the stars...Making a wish on a passing car...She's dancing with strangers, she's falling apart...Waiting for Superman to pick her up...In his arms yeah, in his arms yeah...She's waiting for Superman..."}Waiting For Superman, Daughtry**_

 _Room 207, St. Mungo's Hospital, Muggle World..._

 **A** seemingly impregnable silence filled the highly sterilized room of a lone woman sitting in chair beside the massive Hospital window. The constant clicking of the clock that hung on the wall opposite her in the moderate sized hospital room was the only sound that broke the consistency of the dreaded silence in addition to the rain that beat against the large glass window. The cool air did little to cause the staring woman with a misery aged face and her brown eyes filled with tears to make any movements outside of a shallow form of breathing. Her attending doctors and frequently visiting nurses often tried to get her to engage in the activities of the hospital in a bid to get her well. For all their treatments and supposed diagnosis they knew very little about her current medical condition.

The soft patter of the rain against the window only seemed to intensify the loneliness as she continued to stare out the large window, taking in the swollen dark gray clouds that appeared almost black with the setting of the sun and the absence of the moon and stars. Even as she sat there nearly motionless and in the undisturbed silence of the hospital room she'd been placed in the 55 year old brunette saw flashes of a distant memory.

She recalled every moment she'd spent looking unto the same sorrowful pair of obsidian eyes and wanting so badly to mend the hurt they hid behind them. Tears streamed down her cheeks much like the raindrops had the window as she continued to recall the last time she had seen them.

Her poor heart had been consumed by the weight of loneliness when news came from some stranger clad in a fancy suit with unsympathetic eyes that those same enchanting eyes of obsidian had been forever closed and the hurt behind them had never been mended, only intensified at the end.

More tears signaled the release of her own pain as she fell further and further into the realm of her memory unable to let it go. Those eyes had belonged to a boy she once knew, who's life had been thrust into chaos before he was able to take his first breath and it consumed him when he took his last. She had not been there at the end, when it had all been said and done and it had little to do with choice.

The ache in her heart seemed to deepen as she recalled the vivid details of his gruesome end, reported by the unfeeling stranger that held nothing but contempt for the misunderstood boy whom no one but she dared to love. She had even believed his inner sadness beautiful and his every action in the wake of it as tragic as a painting done by a soul tormented when put on display, she saw herself as the only one with eyes to appreciate such things in when recalling the best and the worst of him.

Yet her love remained.

As tragic as her current situation had become, she recalled that there was one gift that had been left for her by the now dead boy with sorrowful obsidian eyes that she had come to love all those years ago.

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 _The Sterile Halls, St. Mungo's Hospital, Muggle World..._

Heavily polished ebony colored dragon-hide boots clicked against the slick white floors of St. Mungo's Hospital. They belonged to a rather pale man with nearly six foot three in terms of height with lengthy raven hair that had come down passed his shoulders and a face covered via an unshaven beard due more to neglect than deliberate intent. His body had been mostly thin aside from his muscular frame well hidden beneath what appeared to have been a lengthy ebony frock coat, Victorian in style and a non-pressed long sleeve white shirt barely peeking from beneath the high collar of the coat and high buttoned sleeves that came toward the center of his large pale palms.

He approached the desk causing the receptionist to nearly fall out of her seat as she trembled upon seeing him.

"Where is she?" demanded the deep baritone voice of the man staring her down as if he could peer into her very soul.

"She's in her usual room." replied the terrified receptionist.

The ebony clad man took his leave of the trembling young woman and made his way toward the rooms labeled in the 200 section of the hospital.

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 _Room 207, St. Mungo's Hospital, Muggle World..._

The sorrowful obsidian eyes of a man thirty-four years of age had been trained on a lone woman sitting beside the window watching as the rain came streaming down the window pane, fogged by the warmth of the room and her breathing in combination. He had known all too well what she was doing. She had been like that for the passed nineteen years, staring out the window searching.

The saddened man sighed knowing all too well what he had been told by her collective attending doctors and nurses.

He had dedicated his life to ensuring his mother had the best care possible given how everything turned out. She was always staring out the window recalling the first night she met him, the strange wizard in black whom had saved her life all those years ago.

He had been twenty one then, newly recruited into the group of monstrous wizards calling themselves death eaters.

The young man had heard these death eaters were the flunkies of a much more powerful wizard named Voldemort. His mother had told him the stories over and over when he was old enough to understand. From his mind's eye, he had seen the dark wizard that had been his father up until he had to leave, speaking of a strange magical school called Hogwarts.

His father never wanted him to attend and instead sent him to get his magical education overseas to the new world, North America.

Ilvermorny, school of witchcraft and wizardry had been his home away from home ever since.

It was strange that he ended up in Horned Serpent, while his mother told him his father was in Slytherin House at Hogwarts. His father became Head of Slytherin House and finally Headmaster following the death of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.

During his sixth year at Ilvermorny, he received word that his father had been killed during the second wizarding war. He immediately returned to England where his mother had been as she was now, silent and always sitting by the window...waiting.

The doctors and nurses told him they had done all they could and it was simply a matter of time. The knowledge that he was losing the only family he had left was weighing heavily upon him.

Faced with the inevitable, he decided to do one thing for his mother, the thing that he had been toying with as far as idea's were concerned in the hopes of bringing her back to him. He had transfigured his casual muggle attire into an outfit similar to what his father used to wear when he was a boy and newly arrived from the wizarding world.

He entered his mother's room and she immediately turned to face him.

He could see her tears swell behind her dark eyes as she looked at him.

"Severus." she said softly as if she had waited a lifetime.

Her son, had been an inch taller than his father making him six two to his father's notorious six one height advantage. He had the same lengthy raven hair that draped down to his shoulders and his face had been clean shaven revealing his smooth notoriously pale skin that he had inherited from his father as well.

The young wizard simply walked over to the ailing woman and wrapped his arms around her. She burst into tears as he held her as if she had been holding them back for the last nineteen years.

"I've missed you." she said softly. "You should see Regulus, he's become such a handsome young wizard and he's as talented as you are...I just hope that he finds happiness someday...it's the least that could be done for him given all that's happened."

The ailing woman's son simply nodded his pale face grim and expressionless as she spoke of him to "his father". He had not wanted to do anything to cause her to revert back to her former expressionless status as she sat beside the window.

The rain continued to pour against the outside of the hospital as Regulus' mother held him close and hummed a bit seemingly happy for the first time in nineteen years.

"Will you dance with me?" she asked softly. "Like before when we were home and there was no war between us?"

Regulus nodded and escorted her to the center of the room. He had watched his parents dance for years finding it the best source of entertainment since they invented the telly back then. Slowly and carefully, he moved as his father would gliding his mother across the floor with his ebony coat-tail moving about as his father's had when he danced with her.

The ailing woman rested her head on his shoulder and he continued to move about as she hummed her little tune.

"I've missed you so much." she said softly as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Why couldn't you come back to me?"

Regulus said nothing as he continued to dance with his mother not truly knowing the answer to the question she posed, one he had asked in his mind at least a thousand times when watching the poor woman crumble from the weight of the loss they suffered.

They had been told his father was killed in Hogwarts' boating house, dubbed "The Shrieking Shack", when the despot Voldemort slit his throat and ordered his serpent Nagini to kill him, all for possession of something called The Elder Wand. A wand that his father was mistakenly believed to have been the master of.

The young wizard had been so preoccupied with his memories of the day they found out his father had been killed, he hardly noticed his mother had stopped humming. It wasn't long before he noted she has stopped dancing all together and a node of panic went through him like wildfire.

Elaine Louise Snape died right there as the rain beat against the outside of St. Mungo's Hospital as her son danced with her dressed in the same ebony attire his father wore before his death nineteen years prior.

Regulus Snape led his mother toward the bed and lied her down as if she were sleeping before sitting in the chair beside her bed still dressed like his father as tears swelled in the corners of his obsidian eyes.

He had truly been alone now as the sound of the rain became all that could be heard from the room.

The young wizard thought back to his parents and how their lives were complicated by the wizarding wars because of despot's like Voldemort. The anger swelled within him as he caught sight of The Daily Prophet, on the cover was the infamous Harry James Potter, the boy whom his father had died protecting.

The lonely American based wizard turned his smoldering obsidian eyes back to the rain as it truckled down the window in silence.


	2. Chapter 1:Venom's Keen Sting

_**Chapter 1: Venom's Keen Sting**_

 _ **{A/N: Here's Another Update...this is a re-post}**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy S.S.**_

 _ **{"I can't find the rhyme in all my reason...I've lost sense of time and all seasons...Feel I've been beaten down...By the words of men who have no grounds...Can't sleep beneath the trees of wisdom...When your ax has cut the roots that feed them...Forked tongues in bitter mouths...Can drive a man to bleed from inside out...What if you did?...What if you lied?...What if I avenge?...What if eye for an eye?"} What If, Creed**_

 _Outskirts Of Hogwarts Castle, Hogsmeade Village, Wizarding World..._

 **S** wollen clouds loomed in the sky above as ominous a sign of any for the things to come in addition to the air sending chills down the spines of all out and about to feel it. All of this relative strangeness was further punctuated by a great rumbling had been the first thing Hogwarts grounds Keeper Argus Filch noticed as he made his way toward the Hog's Head Inn in Hogsmeade Village. He had not gotten very far before the air was laced with a sort of thick green mist streaking down into the form of a serpent with a head on each end, mouth agape and ready to strike. It was reminiscent of The former Dark Lord's symbol during the first and second wizarding wars.

Trembling and needing to find shelter or at least get to Minerva to warn Hogwarts, Argus attempted to make a hasty retreat only to be set upon by a group of thick black robe wearing individuals with ivory white masks.

Unlike the death eaters of the past, their robes did not stick up at the hood in a seemingly cone shape, their hoods were modern and more like conspicuous thieves than a terrifying supremacist group.

Argus Filch's dark eyes took in the sight of the leader, he had been a tall bloke with the darkest black set of robes and the most painstakingly crafted ivory mask, to muggle's it was akin to The Phantom Of The Opera Mask and covered his entire face.

"Going somewhere?" asked the leader in a gruff tone.

"I-I don't know what the likes of you hope to accomplish..." began Filch not at all wishing to give in to his fear, he had survived the wizarding wars as well as Snape's reign at Hogwarts, there was no way he was giving these adolescents the satisfaction of anything passed their betters.

"Where is the boating house to Hogwarts, old man?" asked the leader of the strange dressed youths.

"W-What?" asked Filch stunned by such a request, no one in their right mind dared brave being near that place since the second wizarding war's end.

"You heard me loud and clear, old man" demanded the leader, his voice still gruff and cold. "Where is this "Shrieking Shack", the place where the one called Severus Snape was killed?"

Filch had been puzzled as to why the leader of this seemingly upstart organization wanted to known about where Snape had been killed by Voldemort. The second wizarding war had ended Nineteen years ago and aside from Potter, no one truly gave a damn about the deceased former Headmaster whom had left so much misery in his wake during his final tenure at Hogwarts.

The leader ripped Filch by the collar and apparated him to the gates of Hogwarts.

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 _The Shrieking Shack, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World..._

Blood still stained the far wall where Severus Snape had taken his final breaths following Voldemort unleashing his serpent familiar Nagini on him during the final battle of the second wizarding war.

The black robed dark wizard moved toward the spot and touched it with his black gloved hand. There had been so much of it, the crimson had seeped into the eerily creaking wood. A rage seemed to course through the young wizard as he balled his fist and turned his attention to Filch, whom had been brought in via the others.

The grounds keeper had been beaten and bloodied less than Snape during his final moments in this haunting place.

"W-What do you want from me?" asked Filch in agony from the beating he received.

The leader simply pointed toward the old blood pool where Snape's body had once been.

"I want you to think real hard old man." he said still in the same gruff and cold manner. "I want to you to tell me what went on here and spare no detail, lest you wish to incur my wrath once more."

Filch spit blood onto the floor a good distance from the strange dark wizard's feet. Whomever it was, they had even taken to speaking like Snape.

"What does Snape have to do with you?" he asked as the blood continued to pool in his aged and crotchety mouth. "It's been nineteen years since anyone has asked about him and all I can tell you is that the official story was Voldemort turned on him, killed him with a swipe to the neck and let the snake do the rest as Potter tells it."

"Potter?" asked the leader suddenly enraged. "What can you tell me about Potter?"

"H-He works for the Ministry of Magic." said Filch with a harsh glare. "Don't you read _The Daily Prophet_?"

"That hogwash is barely fit to be called a newspaper." replied the leader in a gruff tone as if insulted by the mere mention of the paper made famous by the relatively infamous Rita Skeeter.

"On that we can agree." replied Filch unabashed. "Now my turn for a question, why do you care so much about Snape, as far as much of the wizarding world is concerned he was no better than Voldemort but Potter put in a good word for him and got him dubbed a hero and all that, too bad they didn't see what became of this place with Snape at the helm, they might have reconsidered."

The leader blasted a hole in the wall as a result of his fury.

"You will watch your mouth when you speak of him." he said furious. "Filthy fucking squib, how dare you pass judgement on Snape, if it wasn't for him your sorry hide would have been tanned long ago."

Filch had not known why this strange dark wizard had gotten so upset but he knew it was in his best interest to respect this insane wizard's fascination with Snape.

"W-Well...Potter can tell you more about that if you'd be so inclined." he said gruffly. "He's the one with the former Headmaster's memories."

The leader suddenly grabbed the old grounds keeper by the collar and lifted him off the floorboards.

"Where can I find Potter?" he asked coldly.

Filch got an ominous feeling as the leader's seemingly black eyes stared into his very being with a coldness matched only by Snape during his tenure as Headmaster of Hogwarts.

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 _The Grounds, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World..._

The sigil of the Snake hung in the air as the strange dark wizard and his fellows took their leave of a battered and beaten Argus Filch intent on sending a message to Auror Harry James Potter.

If one wanted the attention of an enemy, one had only to seek it out.


	3. Chapter 2:The Sigil Of The Snake

_**Chapter 2: The Sigil Of The Snake**_

 _ **{A/N: Here's Another Update...Another Re-Post...}**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy S.S.**_

 _Harry Potter's Office, Ministry Of Magic Offices, Wizarding World..._

 _ **T**_ he sudden rush of panic filled the wizarding world as word of an enormous green twisted serpent sigil with a head on each end was spotted by a vast number of wizarding citizens as they did their daily shopping and work within the confines of their society. At the Ministry Of Magical offices, Harry James Potter's office was packed with concerned citizens looking for their hero to spring into action. Word had reached him that the same strange sigil had been over Hogwarts near the shrieking shack and Argus Filch was attacked.

While the green eyed wizard had not cared too much for Filch during his time at Hogwarts, he still felt compelled to investigate this incident given that it happened on his watch. Since the fall of the despot Voldemort, Harry had taken on the responsibility of the wizarding world's safety, it was one of the main reasons he had for becoming an Auror.

The current Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt had given him leave to head to Diagon Alley where the first sigil was sighted and possibly go scouting for clues. Hermione would join him as soon as she returned from her current assignment among the giants.

Ron had been on the road playing Quidditch and their children, Rose and Hugo were at Molly and Arthur's right along with his three children with Ginny.

Life had seemed to move pretty fast following the end of the second wizarding war and before Harry knew it, he had a family of his own and his youngest son, Albus Severus was getting ready to attend Hogwarts for the first time. James Sirius was there for going on two years now and Lily Luna was still a couple years off from her first trip.

James II was giving Albus Severus a hard time for weeks about which house he'd end up in, given that he himself had followed in both Harry and Ginny's footsteps and gotten into Gryffindor.

Harry himself, had no problem with Albus Severus ending up in Slytherin, given all that Snape had done for him and he was Head of Slytherin.

It was strange to think that all he had he owed to the very wizard whom he had spent a good deal of his young life hating simply because it seemed the proper way to go about things. If he had the chance to do it all again knowing what he knew now, he'd have spent a bit more time getting to know the man behind the expressionless mask and trademark dark robes that billowed along the darkened corridors of Hogwarts.

The fact that this man had done the unthinkable, he had fooled Voldemort right down to the letter and sacrificed his life to keep both his godson and the child of a woman that had broken his heart alive was an amazing feat. The rest of the wizarding world might consider Harry the hero for defeating Voldemort, but the green eyed wizard knew all too well that it would never have been possible without Snape.

The former boy who lived left his office focusing his rather keen mind on the current investigation.

There was something to this double serpent sigil image and he would need to see it for himself, just to make sure.

The harsh memories from the war still lingered, a good deal of them had not been his own as he still held the safely guarded memories of the fallen Wizarding World hero and former Headmaster of Hogwarts Severus Snape.

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 _Unknown Pub, Diagon Alley, Wizarding World..._

The familiar purple and pink hue with a splash of rapidly yellowing orange hung in the sky, he first initial sign that dusk was soon to be open the citizens of the wizarding world, A pair of ebony dragon-hide boots beat against the water slick cobble stone street before turning down a darkened alley. The brisk movements of the owner of said boots had been further punctuated by a sense of unbalance as well as the lingering stench of what one called "firewhiskey" here in the wizarding world.

The biting chill of the on coming night had been at the back of the brisk walking stranger, having found himself utterly alone in a foreign land and the last remaining member of the family he had once been apart of. His steps gave the impression to any outsider that he had not a care in the world, and it was supposed that it could be considered a true assumption of there had been any made about him. He had very little to care for in the wake of his long suffering mother's passing.

The pressure of having to deal with her loss and lay her to rest drove the lonely young man to seek numbness in the bottom of a few whiskey bottles in a bid to ease his unyielding pain. Following a small altercation in the local English pub, he decided to try his hand at working off both his aggression and loneliness in some rather seedier circles for the night.

Still reeling from the memory of his final trip to St. Mungo's Hospital and caught between attempting to focus on his plans for the evening, he had not been paying much attention when he found himself colliding with a strange individual with eyes as green as emeralds and a most peculiar scar in the shape of a lightening bolt across his forehead.

"Why don't you watch where you are going next time!?" said the rather irritable young man attempting to get to his feet.

The other young man whom had crashed into him crawled along the filthy alley way in search of his recently dropped glasses. He picked them up in something of a hurry and placed them on his face, significantly improving is vision.

"S-Sorry...I'm kind of in a hurry..." replied the reasonably young dark haired man.

He seemed to stop in his tracks as he gaze upon the sight of the angry man before him.

"S-Sir?" he said stunned as he took in the appearance of his collision victim.

The now shaken wizard known as Harry James Potter could hardly believe his eyes despite checking his glasses repeatedly to ensure he had been in his right line of sight.

"You should take those glasses in to be exchanged because you're blind as a fucking bat." said the other young man looking to be only a bit older and wearing casual attire.

"S-Snape?" said Harry in confusion.

The collision victim, none other than the distraught young man from St. Mungo's Hospital, Regulus Snape glared at him furiously.

His obsidian eyes radiated the same unaddressed rage that had been behind the Potions Master's gaze when he stalked the vast corridors of Hogwarts.

"Why don't you go and get those glasses exchanged for ones that actually allow you to see through them." hissed Regulus as he glared at Harry Potter.

The green eyed wizard was unnerved by the sight of his late Potions Master's younger doppelganger. He had been an impressive sight, with his shoulder lengthy raven hair and his height was towering despite the fact that he had been on his knees briefly before getting to his feet. He wore a plain black short sleeved shirt, black trousers that looked like the lower half of a pricey suit, and a pair of ebony dragon-hide boots.

"Y-You weren't exactly watching your steps and you don't were glasses at all." said Harry in his own defense.

"You're the jackass that ran into me, alright." he replied making a show of dusting himself off.

"Y-You're an American?" asked Harry getting to his own feet and adjusting his glasses.

He had never seen an American before, let alone one up close.

"What's it to you?" asked Regulus more annoyed with this idiot the longer he remained in his presence.

He had already had his feel of supposed proud Englishmen picking fights with him in the pub when they had been made aware of his origins via his accent. Many a drunken dullard tried their hand at making him see how superior they were by the supposed ambush they staged only to find that he was more than capable of holding his own no matter the country or odds in battle.

Being called a "Yank" only seemed to anger him further and he was forced to teach a few lessons of his own in terms of whom not to trifle with when experiencing a very bad day.

After getting kicked out of two pubs that night, he turned his attention toward visiting a brothel to take his mind off recent events.

"I-It's just that I've never...well...I've never seen an American before." said Harry surprised by the rather tall man before him. "I-It doesn't help that you remind me of someone."

Regulus sighed and slicked his lengthy raven hair back. His obsidian eyes met the emerald green eyes of Harry Potter briefly before he straightened himself up and placed his hands in his pockets.

"Look Geek boy, I'm kind of having a rough day." he said not at all hiding his annoyed tone. "You mind if we cut the small talk?, I've got places to be."

"Well, I was in the middle of work when you interrupted me." countered Harry seemingly defensive.

"What kind of work do you do where it's cool to walk around like an idiot looking up at the sky?" asked Regulus annoyed.

"I happen to do very important work with...windows." said Harry covering his wizarding identity.

Regulus rolled his eyes. Apparently this one was as bad with lies as he had been with his eyesight. It didn't take much to note that he had been affiliated with the wizarding world, the wand that had unceremoniously fallen from the green eyed wizard's hand in the process of the collision confirmed as much.

"You are a terrible liar dude." he said unconvinced.

"And you are just a terrible bloke." said the green eyed wizard in his own defense.

"If you really have a job you know...looking at windows, then what's your wand doing on the ground?" asked Regulus folding his pale arms across his chest.

"My..." began Harry embarrassed about being outed as being a wizard. "Wait...how did you...?"

Before Regulus could answer, their little chat was cut short by a rogue blast from between the shops.

"Accio, wand." Commanded the green eyed Auror.

Regulus sighed once more in annoyance.

This was certainly not how he had planned to spend the remainder of his day, engaging in some random wizarding battle in a damp piss smelling alley way with the most annoying geek boy he'd ever met. His level of irritation was further translated in his rather skillful combat techniques as he vented his frustrations upon the fool dumb enough to further delay his trip to the brothel.

"Fuck this." he muttered immediately drawing his own wand, and entering the fray when it seemed as though Potter was being outdone.

 _"EXPELLIARMUS!"_ shouted Regulus focusing a rather nasty blast for the attacker as the spells continued to fly.

 _"STUPEFY!"_ shouted Harry also contributing to the attack as his wand reached his hand despite his shock at the seemingly regular looking muggle assisting him in battle.

The attacker had been a strange dressed male given his body mass and temperament. Regulus had no intention of offering further assistance as he tucked his wand back into his pocket believing there to be only one attacker present.

Harry did a rather quick perimeter check and found that a spell was coming right for the tall unorthodox American wizard.

"WATCH OUT!" he shouted a bit too late.

Regulus had been much too slow to defend himself against the spell that had thrown him into a nearby brick wall. Harry immediately jumped in to defend the strange American wizard running off the secondary attacker after securing the first.

The already irate wizard balled his fist and threw what Harry believed to have been a magical punch at the second attacker before they could get clear. Regulus scrambled to his feet despite his apparent injure and attacked the second assailant with his bare hands.

"Whoa...STOP!...you're going to kill him." said Harry pulling the much large wizard off the robed fiend.

"That's generally the idea when some dumbass attacker tries to take you out." replied Regulus not at all hiding his rage.

"I need him alive." said the Green eyed wizard. "He's probably got some insight into this whole mess and I need that information."

Regulus rolled his eyes attempting to catch his breath as he leaned against the brick wall. He had been feeling the pain from that uncharted blow. The way his luck was going, he believed he was bleeding beneath his shirt.

"Fuck." muttered Regulus annoyed. "My good shirt."

Harry shook his head as he called in the other Aurors to pick up the unconscious assailants.

Regulus put away his wand and attempted to be on his merry way until he found himself in the company of a concerned Harry Potter.

"Thanks by the way, for what you did for me back there." said the green eyed wizard grateful.

"No problem geek boy." replied Regulus with a seemingly cool attitude that puzzled the British born Harry to no end.

"Are all American's as much of an asshole as you?" he asked his English accent thick.

"Nope, I'm special." replied Regulus fiddling with his shirt. "Just like my old man, I guess."

Harry shook his head. He had not understood this strange American bloke in the least but he found him interesting.

"Listen, it was nice chatting and all but, I've got to go get laid." said Regulus not one to beat around the bush as far as his intentions had been concerned. "See you around geek boy."

The other Aurors arrived as soon as Regulus elected to take his leave.

Harry sighed looking up at the strange two headed serpent looming above them in the sky.

He had no idea what was in store for the strange American bloke, but he wished him well at least.


	4. Chapter 3:Displacement

_**Chapter 3: Displacement**_

 _ **{A/N: Here's Another Update...Another chapter redone via re-post}**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy S.S.**_

 _ **{" "No" is a dirty word ,**_ ** _Never gonna say it first,_** ** _"No" is just a thought that never crosses my mind..._** ** _Maybe in the parking lot,_** ** _Better bring your friend along,_** ** _Better all together than just one at a time..._** ** _S is for the simple need..._** ** _E is for the ecstasy..._** ** _X is just to mark the spot,_** ** _Cause that's the one you really want..._** ** _(Yes) sex is always the answer, it's never a question,_** ** _Cause the answer's yes, oh the answer's (yes)..._** ** _Not just a suggestion, if you ask the question,_** ** _Then it's always yes, yeah!..._** ** _I'm loving what you wanna wear,_** ** _I wonder what's up under there?..._** ** _Wonder if I'll ever have it under my tongue?..._** ** _I love to try to set you free,_** ** _I love you all over me..._** ** _Love to hear the sound you make the second you're done..._**. _ **"}S.E.X.,Nickelback**_

 _ **Warning: Mature Content Ahead...**_

 _Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World..._

 **T** he stench of heated piss and dirt filled the flaring nostrils of the raven haired wizard known as Regulus Snape as he made his way through the broken cobblestone paved alley known as Knockturn Alley to those familiar with it in the English portion of the Wizarding World. The darkness and the secrecy that made this place so popular for unsavory acts and illicit sexual deviance attracted him the moment he heard a few wizarding fellows whispering about it. It was a good deal less like the places he'd already been to back in America when in search of meaningless sexual favors to occupy his time and rid him of his morbid thoughts when he felt them growing to powerful. If he could admit to getting anything from his father in terms of personality, it was definitely his taste in heavy dose of firewhiskey and a warm woman to curl up with.

Neither he nor his late father actually cared wither the warm woman was in a romantic need for them or just some whore plying her trade for the right price of coin. Both men found themselves more interested in ridding themselves of their oppressive inner thoughts.

It was nothing different for Regulus as he crossed the familiar paths until he came to a rather large house, built some where in the Victorian era of England with a few wizarding world upgrades to stave off silly things like death from unknown poisons and the like. He smirked recalling a few facts from his former classes about such places.

The tall raven haired wizard had taken quite a beating back at Diagon Alley due to "Geek boy's" little fan club members. All he wanted was a beautiful witch with an available bed and minimal inclination to voice her opinion to how he wanted to take her to bed.

Truth be told he had been exhausted from the planning for his mother's funeral and the added pain from the recent attack only reinforced his desire to curl up with a bottle of something strong and mind bending. He had done as much as he could to get drunk at the local pubs but the constant fighting only seemed to nullify his intoxication and push him more along the lines of sobering.

He had heard tale of good looking girls in England, the stories from his friends back in North America about them were numerous, of course he often suspected that these friends had never stepped foot in England.

As for Regulus, he was conceived here in England but born on North American soil. It had been his father's way of protecting him. The story of Severus Snape being a dastardly death eater was far reaching and so were his enemies given how Voldemort had managed to kill Igor Karkaroff, former friend to his father and at one time an uncle to a very young Regulus.

It was strange to think about how his life had changed once The Potters were killed.

His father seemed to grow distant, not wishing to even hold him, siting that he didn't deserve it after his hands had been soiled with the blood of the innocent. The child Regulus would hear his mother plea for his father to stay with them and raise him as he meant to before all the chaos had taken over their lives once again.

Shaking his painful memories, Regulus entered the brothel aimed to get rid of the past at least for one night. He had not known if his father had frequented this place or not, but he made up his mind to enjoy the remainder of the night despite his mind's wondering.

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 _The Brothel, Knockturn Alley Wizarding World..._

Once Regulus made his way inside the Victorian era house and stood among the mists of smoke and perfume as well as the stench of drink, he found himself noting the dark burgundy carpeting, it seemed almost like blood as if the owner of the establishment was trying to convey some type of message to those whom had come to this place. There was possibly a fair amount of blood spilled here, both in the name of war and the shedding of a working girl's innocence.

As the raven haired wizard did his fair share of looking around, he noted rather quickly that it was a typical place, a lot of drunken horn-dog men came here with their intent of being after two things, drink and women. The raven haired wizard smirked noting that this was exactly the kind of place he was looking for. He stuck his large pale hands into his pockets and made his way up toward the deep cherry wood counter in a bid to greet the proprietor.

There was an older looking woman with hard blue eyes and a face like leather in terms of wrinkles.

She had a touch of gray in her wild hair and wore a shameful come hither outfit meant to bring attention to her own shapely body to the new arrivals. She looked to be the kind of woman that had seen more than her fair share of trouble in this world and any other. At the very least, Regulus had a bit of admiration for her. Not many women sustained a place like this all on their own where he came from.

"Can I help you, Honey?" she asked in a gruff tone.

"Sure can Sugar." replied Regulus turning on his seemingly unrestrained charm.

"A charming, Yank." she said with a smirk. "Now I've seen everything."

"I doubt you've seen what I got Sugar." countered Regulus proving he could keep up in terms of trading barbs.

"And quick witted too." said the old girl with a hint of a smile. "You and me might get on famously."

"I'll hold you to that." replied Regulus with a hint of a wicked smirk.

The old woman smiled again delighted by his rugged charms.

"You I like." replied the old bird with a full on grin. "If I was some odd years younger I'd take you around back and show you what for, anyway what can I get you a cold drink or a hot woman take your pick."

"I was actually thinking along the lines of both." replied Regulus still with that wicked smile. "And if you're up for it, I just might follow you round back and show you how an American rides."

The old woman chuckled at this.

"Big talk for a first timer." she said with a smile. "But I'll hear from Lucy soon enough."

"Lucy?" asked Regulus with his eyebrow arched in the style of his father as he scooped up the beer the old woman passed him.

He put the bottle to his lips and drank some down as the infamous "Lucy" made her way over toward him.

She hadn't been a bad looking woman, apparently closer to middle age than being a girl, in fact she was better than Regulus expected with full breasts pressed firmly against her all too revealing white lace top and thick swaying hips. She of course had been blonde with baby blue eyes and a tad too much make up, but the raven haired wizard didn't mind, he knew she'd be needing a touch up come morning.

"Hello Lucy, my friends call me Reg...I'd like for us to become friends if that's alright with you." he said in a charming manner. "And to commemorate the occasion, I'd like to show you a gift I got from my dead father."

The girl known as Lucy looked at the old woman as if to ask:

"Is this Yank for real?"

The leather faced woman chuckled in amusement as they made their way up the winding wooden staircase and toward the room they'd be using for the evening.

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 _Lucy's Room, The Brothel, Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World..._

The smoldering amber eyes of the rather infamous Hermione Jean Granger, now Hermione Jean Granger-Weasley had threatened to burn an unceremonious hole in the hard wooden door to the highly frequented room of the strumpet prostitute known collectively as "Lucy". The angry witch had, had enough of her husband, Ronald Bilius Weasley's antics. She knew very well, that he had been carrying on with whores whenever he believed her to be out of town on business for the Ministry Of Magic. She had heard it from far too many "busybodies" that Ron had taken to bedding a witch by the name of Lucy at Marla's Brothel and Drink House in Knockturn Alley.

The fuming amber eyed witch stormed the familiar address and marched up the stairs toward the room always reserved for the witch known as Lucy. The fury in her eyes as she whipped out her wand and crashed through the heavily locked had not believed the protests of Old Marla when she insisted that Ron wasn't with Lucy and that the wanton whore was servicing another client. Hermione had been even more uninterested when she tried to impress upon her that the new client was an American that had strolled in from out of no where.

Needless to say, Hermione came through the door casting hexes left and right as she crashed in on a pale bloke with lengthy raven hair and an impressively ripped body as far as muscle definition was concerned. His back had showed signs of minor bruising, but that didn't seem to slow down his apparently vicious thrusts into a screaming witch whom had her weighty legs wrapped around his lean waist.

Their bodies had been vastly entangled amid the crisp white bed sheets and casually thrown pillows as the strange American wizard continued to thrust rather ferociously into the willing witch as she babbled in reaction to the pleasure he was inducing via his antics.

"M-More." pleaded the babbling witch as he flexed his lengthy pale body in a bid to thrust into her harder.

The muscles ripped in his back as his shoulder blades flexed and his well toned backside seemed to complete the overall picture of a healthy wizard with more than a few years experience under his belt so to speak.

For a moment Hermione had forgotten all about her rage and the hexes currently flying at the preoccupied man and his female paid for female companion. The headboard had been sturdy for the most part and made of heavy dark wood but it was no match for the force of this strange wizard's thrusts as he caused it to unceremoniously beat against the wall in time with his rapid thrusts until the hexes hit their mark digging into the wizard's back and causing him to spasm in agony due to his already noted bruise.

"AHHHHHHHH!" he shouted caught off guard by the pain as he gave one last thrust before collapsing onto the witch below him.

The force of the final bit of thrusting caused the body of the witch he'd been towering above to spasm and it had driven her over the edge as she screamed out in pleasure in the wake of his untimely release.

The ailing wizard noted the blood as more pain coursed through him.

He groaned and rolled off the witch he was bedding onto the floor.

Seeing an enraged Hermione Granger-Weasley, Lucy gathered her clothing and took her leave as quickly as possible not wishing to tangle with such a formidable witch given her history with her husband Ron.

Unbeknownst to Hermione, Ron had been scheduled for time with Lucy latter that day and had she waited a bit longer she'd have caught him red handed dipping his wand into the highly sought after whore.

The ailing naked wizard curled into a ball as the pain continued to intensify as it ripped through his body.

"FUCK!" he shouted gritting his teeth and balling his fists in agony.

He hadn't felt anything this painful since his days of dueling his father back in America, whenever the wizard bothered to show up and spend time with him.

Hearing the innocent wizard she hexed in agony, Hermione immediately rushed over to offer relief from her mistaken identity hex.

"I'm so sorry." she said fumbling with her wand momentarily forgetting that he had been naked in the wake of his pain. "I thought you were someone else."

"Ahhhhh!" shouted the raven haired wizard shouted in agony. "What the fuck!?"

Hermione cast the counter hex and the naked raven haired wizard scrambled to his feet, feeling his heavy muscles ache as he moved. He made it as far as the bed before he collapsed onto it bringing a rather concerned Hermione down with him as she tried her best to assist him.

"Oh Merlin!" shouted Hermione noting that he had still been naked and his rather large body was pinning her to the mattress. "S-Sir...sir can you move?"

His impressive appendage seemed to respond to the warmth between them as the spasms of pain continued to riddle his exhausted body.

The disoriented wizard groaned as Hermione finally managed to roll him off her and onto his back on the bed below them.

"I'm so sorry." she said looking him over briefly and noting the blood pooling around him.

"F-Fuck." he said finding himself groggy despite his best efforts to get a hold of himself. "W-Where did...?"

He began stopped once more by pain.

"Shhhh." said Hermione taking out her wand in a bid to mend him. "I know a few healing charms, they should help with the pain."

The pain began to recede as the amber eyed witch set to work healing him.

"W-what's your name?" he asked winded as if he had run more than a few miles in the countryside.

"M-My name's Hermione." she said rather nervously. "I-I'm quite sorry for hexing you...I thought you were my no good prat husband."

The raven haired wizard smirked.

"You English talk funny you know that?" he asked taking in the sight of her for the first time.

"And you Americans are..." she began realizing once more now that his healing had been complete that he had been naked. "Naked..."

She immediately got to her feet causing him to roll off the bed and hit his head on the nearby wall.

"OW!" he shouted lying on his back in reaction to the pain. "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"

"Sorry." said Hermione putting a hand over her mouth in shock. "I'm sorry...it's just that you were well...naked...are naked...oh Merlin...I have to go."

The injured wizard attempted to get to his feet using the bed to support his unsteady weight as he moved grabbing his discarded trousers from the bedroom floor as he did.

Hermione took her leave of him fearful of lingering much too long in the company of a man that wasn't her husband. She felt she'd been a bad as Ron for having seen anyone but him without clothing.

Fumbling to get on his trousers, the raven haired wizard raced out the door after the amber eyed witch that had caused him so much pain.

"Wait." he said forgoing his shirt and shoes to chase after this beautiful witch he hardly knew.

He didn't know why he'd elected to go chasing her given all she'd done to him, but something in him found her appealing in a strange way and he couldn't let her get away.

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 _Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World..._

Despite being barefoot and slightly chilled from not having his shirt on due to the cold, Regulus Snape continued to chase after the beautiful witch that hexed him in the brothel. He stepped in a puddle but ignored it as the graying water splashed onto his trousers and a bit got onto his chest. His sweat blasted raven haired didn't make the feelings of being exposed to the elements any better as he attempted to reach the brisk walking Hermione Granger-Weasley.

He gave little thought to how slick his toes had became in the wake of stepping into the puddle nor how hard the cobblestone pavement had been when his bare feet was assaulted via the loose stones from the ill-kept street. All he had been concerned with was stopping her.

"Wait!" he shouted catching her by the elbow and sliding her close to him, for a moment for getting about his chest being bare. "Hermione...wasn't it?"

"I-I have to go." she said as her cheeks continued to redden. "I have to get home."

"Hold on a minute, you can't just attack a guy in the middle of a social call and take off when he shows a bit of interest in you." said Regulus amused by her apparent innocence.

"Well, I've already apologized." replied Hermione choosing to stand her ground.

"How bout you let me take you to dinner?" asked Regulus in a charming tone. "It's the least you could do given the knot you put on my head."

"I can't." replied Hermione sternly. "I have a life to get back to."

"Wait what do you mean?" asked the raven haired wizard. "You came barging into..."

"I'm married." said Hermione hoping that he'd lose interest in her all together.

Regulus let go of her arm reflecting the desired effect of shock when she straightened her attire.

"Well, your husband is one lucky son of a bitch to have you for a wife." he said seemingly saddened by this turn of events. "I-I'm sorry I wasted your time."

He put his hands in his pockets and made his way back toward the brothel feeling no need to engage the witch further if she'd already been spoken for.

Hermione sighed watching him go but steeled herself as she focused on apparating home.

She had to get the children supper and into bed before going over this new case with Harry.

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The Brothel, Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World...

Regulus made it as far as the first step before he was immediately treated to his shoes and shirt being thrown at him. He noted they had taken their payment before making it clear that they had not wanted him to return.

The Raven haired wizard sighed slipping on his shirt and shoes just as it began to rain. He put his hands back into his pockets and wondered through Knockturn Alley.

 _So much for having a little of fun for the night._

He sighed believing it a pity this Hermione was married already. She seemed like someone fun to know given all the adventures he had recently it would have been nice to be with a girl that wouldn't kick him out at the first sign of trouble.

He had been impressed with her magical aptitude.

She healed him up pretty well and there had been no lasting scaring, not even from the injury he had gotten in the alley with Greek boy.

Regulus sighed and focused his mind on his next apparation point.

The image of his father's home town came into his mind clear as day:

 _Cokeworth, England, Spinner's End._


	5. Chapter 4:A New Threat

_**Chapter 4: A New Threat**_

 _ **{A/N: Here's Another Update...Re-Post Chapter...}**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy S.S.**_

 _The Interrogation Room, Ministry Of Magic Offices, Wizarding World..._

 **B** right lights filled a small cramped room with gray walls and not a single window in sight. The heat from the seemingly focused lighting did little to make the place comfortable of course it was all done by design as celebrated Auror Harry James Potter intended when requesting to have an attempt to question the newly acquired suspect whom had attempted to assault him in an alley way. The emerald green eyes of the Wizarding World's most accomplished hero since the late Albus Dumbledore, narrowed behind his glasses as he took in the sight of the new haul.

His attacker had been a gruff looking wizard, his face was still marred by the physical assault he sustained in the wake of the American wizard's fury and his nose oozed blood onto his black robed chest. His cheek was heavily bruised and his jaw loose as he sat quietly staring back into Harry Potter's angry gaze seemingly unaffected by his petty attempt at intimidation.

He glared rather murderously at Harry smug in his beliefs and bitter about his capture.

"Why did you attack me?" asked the green eyed wizard demanding answers for this strange man's actions.

"To get your attention." replied the first assailant with a harsh expression.

"To get my attention?" asked Harry confused. "For what?"

"Your day of reckoning is coming Potter, the boss will see to it." replied the first assailant.

"Who are you working for and what does this have to do with me?" asked Harry intent on finding the answers.

"I've got nothing more to say to you Potter." replied The first assailant.

The green eyed wizard sighed. The second assailant had not been fit for interrogation given the beating the strange American wizard had given him. He had been getting no where fast and found himself in desperate need of Hermione's help.

Someone had been setting all this up just to go after him?

It didn't make any sense despite his long list of enemies since the end of the second wizarding war, none had been so bold as to openly attack him on the streets not even when given to advanced organization.

Fearing for his families safety, he became all the more determined to head up this investigation.

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 _Spinner's End, Cokeworth, England, Muggle World..._

The rancid stench of the black pool caught the attention of Regulus Snape the moment he landed in the rundown textile mill town of Cokeworth England. His blazing eyes of obsidian noted the unimpressive origin place of his late father and he found himself feeling a bit sympathetic to the late wizard in regards to how his childhood must have been. He once asked his father where it was that he'd grown up only to be told by the drunken wizard in so many words that it had been the seat of hell.

Looking around at the seemingly lifeless place, it appeared his father had been quite truthful on that statement.

Making his way to the last dilapidated brick house on the left row of the similarly built houses, Regulus braced himself for what he'd find at the former Snape residence. The raven haired wizard moved up the crumbling concrete steps securing the key from beneath a long dead flower pot and opened the thick black wood front door.

Almost immediately, the stench of dust and decay accent with a bit of leather, herbs and fresh earth came rushing from the place and did it's best to combat the rancid stench from the open smog filled air of the town. Regulus stepped inside noting the numerous cobwebs along the walls and numerous books shelves. He was impressed to find each book had been intact and placed in alphabetical order as he continued inside the house closing the door behind him and using his wand for light.

The air was indeed musty as he stood at the small entrance of the modest muggle built house despite evidence of magical enhancements from the inside. Regulus nearly chuckled at the image of a clown car that entered his mind as he noted the place was much bigger than it appeared on the outside and still not as grand as a mansion or even the home he'd grown up in back in America.

He stepped into the sitting room, noting the numerous bottles of firewhiskey, possibly left by his father during his final night in this place before his inevitable end during the second wizarding war. There was a good deal of dried blood along the dusty hard wood floor below the younger Snape's feet and broken glass shards in a pile near a wall with evidence of the atrocious sixties era flower print wall paper being chipped.

The smell of wood had been strong here, as well as the smell of ash and dirt.

From the looks of it, Regulus guessed his late father spent a good deal of time in this room.

The old place had looked a good deal like a house where bad things happened behind the closed doors where no eye would venture for fear of being improper or involved in something that wasn't their business.

Regulus recalled his mother telling him that his father had not had a happy childhood, and she had often suspected that the ever brooding wizard was the victim of physical abuse and gross neglect from his parents.

The raven haired wizard sighed pushing his memories to the back of his mind as he made his way to the same armchair his father and grandfather frequented whenever they returned to this place. It seemed that by right of passage, he ventured toward the chair and sat down before the fireplace content to sit in the darkness and bask in silence for the time being.

He had been miles from North America and the life he had built there. The news of his mother's condition and his father's passing had brought him back across the ocean.

As he sat there in the darkness of the Snape family sitting room, he found a half drunk bottle of Orgren's finest firewhiskey still remained. He lifted it up noting the contents and sighed once more as he unscrewed the cap from the bottle putting the seemingly lethal concoction to his lips and enjoying the vicious burn as it went down.

"You must have needed this everyday." said Regulus reflecting for a bit before leaning his head back and closing his weary eyes still gripping the heavy bottle.

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 _Open Field, The Burrows, Wizarding World..._

Hermione Granger-Weasley had barely landed in the center of the open field as she combated thought of what she experienced that day. She had stormed the brothel in search of Ron only to find some strange American bloke whom reminded her briefly of the late Professor Snape until he spoke and his strange accent ended the illusion.

He had been quite a handsome man, with an incredibly toned body not to mention his rather large appendage between his seemingly powerful thighs. The amber eyed witch attempted to shake the images of the strange wizard's lovemaking from her mind only to be bombarded with them.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione gathered herself and focused her attention on getting back to her life and her family. She still had not trusted Ron as far as she could throw him, and that had been pretty far given the last time she had done it, but she knew she needed to get the strange wizard and his impossibly huge wand off her mind.

The amber eyed witch climbed the steps to her family home taking a final moment to gather her thoughts and focus on what needed to be done here.

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 _The Potter Residence, The Burrows, Wizarding World..._

It had been an all together difficult day for Harry James Potter as he attempted to figure out whom it was that wanted his attention so badly that they would send robed would be assassins to Diagon Alley beneath a double ended serpent symbol reminiscent of the death eaters Voldemort's dark mark.

This wasn't like before, he wasn't some reckless child out to join his fallen parents and godfather. He had been married this time around with three children of his own, as well as uncle to the children Hermione and Ron had together.

If this threat had indeed been a big as Voldemort during the wizarding wars, he intended to put an end to it before it got out of control. James Sirius and Albus Severus were due to attend Hogwarts and given what he endured at the school during the last war there was was no way he wished that kind of pressure on his young sons.

Neville Longbottom was a fine wizard and an old friend but he was no Severus Snape. There was no way his old friend could keep his children and an entire school safe at any given moment.

Harry balled his fists as his rage began to seep through. There was no way he was going to endure another lengthy war because some dark git got uppity about birthrights. He had far too much of that the last go round.

With a sigh, he gathered his thoughts and headed inside his family home needing to be near his beautiful wife and fast growing children for comfort. If this was indeed a war he wanted to enjoy the quiet moments he had fought so hard for the previous time.

Deciding to enjoy his time with his family, he made up his mind to see Hermione in the morning about the new details of this strange investigation. One thing was for sure, Harry Potter was ready to face this new threat even at the cost of his own life if it meant a safe future for his children and Hermione's children.


	6. Chapter 5:Playing With Fire

_**Chapter 5: Playing With Fire**_

 _ **{A/N: Here's Another Update...re-post}**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy S.S.**_

 _ **{"Lighter in my hand and I've got nothing to burn...Except a little turpentine inside of those five paint cans...Get grandpa's shotgun and we'll all take turns...But don't you ever say a word...'Cause you know momma's gonna hate that...The dice that we've been rollin'...With our lives are better stolen...When you're walking through the fire for fun...Tidal wave in motion...You can't hide from the explosion...In 3, 2, 1...We're smokin' dynamite...Too many fuses to light...(Got kingdom come, on the run)...Gonna steal, beg, and borrow...A thousand Fahrenheit and we're about to ignite...So keep the throttle to the bottom...We may never see tomorrow...If tonight's our time to go, the one thing I know...We'll need a coin for the ferryman...Leave us a coin for the ferryman"}Coin For The Ferryman, Nickelback**_

 _Diagon Alley, Wizarding World..._

 _ **C**_ itizens of The Wizarding World were stunned to find the familiar double serpent sigil looming above Diagon Alley once again as a flaming serpent swept through the alley burning everything that came into contact with it. The roar of the serpent had been one of intense fury as it swallowed all in it's witches and wizards were stunned to find the source of this monstrous spell had been a strange figure with his face covered by an ivory mask and a thick robe of the darkest ebony draped over his seemingly broad shoulders. The strange figure had not been surrounded by equally terrifying masked figures with their wands drawn as if poised for attack. Recollection of the death eaters of years passed swept the public as fast as fear. The apparent leader of this strange group aimed the twisted serpent with it's menacing body aflame at the terrified people as they watched him.

"Citizens of the wizarding world." began the strange dark wizard. "I bid you good evening and advise you to prepare yourselves, as you are about to witness the birth of a revolution...or to your feeble minds, the birth of destruction."

The accompanying masked robed men suddenly kneeled at once as if they were of one mind while the leader continued his speech.

"Tonight, I've come to deliver a simple message to your so called hero Harry Potter." he said seemingly embittered at the mention of Harry's name. "We are coming for him, and all of you other pretentious fools that thrived in the wake of a murder most foul."

To punctuate his point, the leader of this strange group unleashed his fiery serpent onto the building where The Daily Prophet had been produced. The same rag of a news paper that had slandered many a good name in the wake of Rita Skeeter's selfish ambitions.

The flame serpent burst into the building singing every scrap of paper, every pencil or pen, every machine or printing press while shattering window after window leaving glass to rain down upon the anxious public. The heated roar of the serpent of flame continued to demolish all in it's wake.

As panic filled the streets, not a single one of them noted the poise and control the strange dark wizard leader showed in keeping the flamed serpent's destruction to what he wished it to be. This had all been meant to send a message and nothing more.

Amazingly, there were only a few people injured from the broken glass and the stampede of citizens trying desperately to get out of the path of the flames.

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 _Spinner's End, Cokeworth England, Muggle World..._

Regulus Snape had been surrounded by more empty bottles of firewhiskey as he lied in the center of his deceased grandparents bed. It had taken him nearly all of the night to make the old place livable before he passed out from exhaustion. He had worked up quite a sweat, mostly due to the drink and discarded a good deal of his clothing onto the hardwood floor below him.

As he slept, he began to dream of the days passed when he had simply been a child in the company of his father and mother some many miles across the ocean.

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 _ **It had been a cool August afternoon, Regulus S. Snape had been possibly close to three years of age when his father entered the house, Severus S. Snape had been an impressive man given his towering height and seemingly graceful movements. The older wizard's raven hair had been down to his shoulders and he was due for a hair cut as far as his wife had been concerned. Regulus had thought his father looked cool almost like some dashing form of bad-ass he couldn't yet describe at his young age.**_

 _ **The boy had known for years that many of his looks had been inherited from his father, they had the same lengthy raven hair and obsidian eyes, it would be years later that Regulus would find that he ended up with his paternal grandfather's athletic build more so than his father's lean figure.**_

 _ **Severus Snape entered the small but cozy flat where he had made his home with his wife and young son unbeknownst to much of the wizarding world or his former inner circle. Snape had gone over to his three year old son straight away pleased more than the boy could ever know to see him so happy and healthy.**_

 _ **"There's the little prince." said Snape, his familiar baritone drawl rumbling in the small boy's ear. "And what have you gotten into today?"**_

 _ **Regulus smiled warmly as his father lifted him off the floor and into his surprisingly strong ebony clad arms.**_

 _ **"Yay Papa, you're home!" said the boy excited to see the older wizard. "Are you going to stay longer this time?...me and mommy really miss you."**_

 _ **Snape sighed.**_

 _ **"I do not believe that is possible." he said seemingly exhausted as he thought about having to leave again. "The dark lord is a very demanding wizard."**_

 _ **Little Regulus pouted upon hearing this.**_

 _ **"I hate the dark lord." he said angrily. "He's mean and always takes you away from me and mommy."**_

 _ **Snape seemed amused by his son's stance on his current master.**_

 _ **"I sympathize with your sentiment." he said in his proper English talk.**_

 _ **Regulus had often mimicked it when he needed to, making it difficult for anyone to know for sure where he had come from and terrify them in terms of his suggested intellect at such a young age.**_

 _ **"I don't like when he hurts you Papa." said little Regulus meaningfully.**_

 _ **"Neither do I." replied Snape with a small smile. "But your mother isn't to know...she couldn't handle the thought of what happens to me in the dark lord's company."**_

 _ **"Okay Papa." said Little Regulus agreeing to keep their shared secret of what happens to Snape in the dark lord's company.**_

 _ **"So little prince, what have you learned today?" asked Snape gently sitting his son down where he had picked him up moments prior.**_

 _ **Little Regulus smiled and waved his little hand.**_

 _ **"Watch me Papa!" he said excited.**_

 _ **Snape stood with his arms folded across his ebony clad chest as he watched his son summon a bit of wand-less magic .**_

 _ **The Potions Master's eyes widened when he noted that his son set a good deal of his toys on fire in the small demonstration.**_

 _ **"Impressive bit of magic that." said Snape seemingly amused. "But can you control it?"**_

 _ **Little Regulus had been a curious sort and embraced his magical heritage from the very beginning despite his mother's anguish over his antics. His father implemented the need to control his emotions as well as his magic from a young age. The last thing they need was to draw unnecessary attention or to have him burn down the house due to one of his tantrums.**_

 _ **The small raven haired wizard had been far too pleased to demonstrate his magical control. He had practiced every day until he could get it just right to show his father.**_

 _ **"Good." replied Snape taking the boy in his arms and waving his hand to stifle the flames on the various toys that littered the boy's play area. "Do better."**_

 _ **Little Regulus nodded.**_

 _ **He had known his father was capable of wondrous things and he made up his mind to be just like him.**_

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 _In The Present..._

Regulus Snape had been asleep when the tear streamed down his sallow pale cheeks as the memory image of his time with his father faded and he awoke to find himself alone and suffering the effects of needing to vomit.

The raven haired wizard jumped up out of bed and raced toward the small bathroom in the narrow hall as he flicked his finger and raised the toilet seat. He vomited the contents of his poor stomach for what seemed like hours before finally collapsing onto the floor and gasping for breath.

The image of his long dead father had filled his already dazed mind and did nothing to stop the silent tears that continued to stream down his sallow pale cheeks. The harsh reality that he had truly been alone in this world had set in once more as he got to his feet.

He reached the sink and rinsed out his mouth, preferring the brown water to the taste of vomit on his tongue. As he cleaned himself up, he noted his reflection in the half shattered mirror before him. It didn't take him long to note the dried blood and the angle of the break as having been deliberate and possibly done by his father during his time here while the second wizarding war was taking place.

They had indeed shared the same lengthy raven hair and pale skin. Regulus smirked as he noted the hint of five o' clock shadow creeping across his face. He had no desire to shave given his preference for when his father went without shaving when home.

He dried his face as best he could with his hands not seeing a clean towel in sight. He emerged from the bathroom with a look of amusement on his face. His father often referred to it as the loo, and attributed to many a laugh on Regulus' part.

The young raven haired wizard made his way to the sitting room and stood in the center of the morning chilled room admiring the darkness of the new day. He had only been dressed in his small clothes but felt it the perfect time to prefect his spell work. He summoned his wand-less magic playing with a few fireballs in each hand as he got control over his breathing.

He had always been attracted to the element of fire.

The sheer volume and unpredictability of it had been the most mesmerizing of it's properties. He often stared into the fireplace as a boy and enjoyed the dancing grace of the red-orange flames as they consumed the wood logs that fed them.

In a strange way, he likened his father to the untamed flames. The dark wizard certainly had the capacity to harm as well as benefit, there was vast unpredictability as far as he had been concerned and an unstated grace in which he moved.

His father had trained him in the art of magical combat as well as dueling. He had been surprisingly, well read having access to both American classic literature and English classic literature. Being well verse in studies from the muggle world as well as the wizarding one had been a priority as far as his parents were concerned.

He had been among the highest scored students at Ilvermorny and well liked given his charm and athletic build. He had played all kinds of sports from both worlds given his athletic talent on via his paternal grandfather.

Unbeknownst to his father, he had been well verse in charms and had invented quite a few. He had been proficient at Potions-making, although in North America it was referred to as Alchemy, while he would never be half the "Potions Master" his father was, Regulus settled for being adept at charms and a veteran Alchemist.

The young raven haired wizard had been studying martial arts and other forms of combat via his travels in North America following the end of the second wizarding war. He did what he could for his ailing mother but his rage had been a problem ever since he was given word of his father's death.

Many of his former Professors suggest he find a less unsavory outlet for his pain given his tendency to drink and bed women when his stress level increased to beyond his ability to deal with anything.

Exercise, study, and various projects have helped ease some of his initial pain, but the recent passing of his mother seemed to render them all useless.

Regulus concentrated his efforts in wand-less magic while incorporating it into his exercise. He had understood at a very young age that his father had gone through a great deal of emotional and physical trauma to become the formidable wizard that he had been.

Unlike Severus Snape, Regulus Snape had a relatively happy life up until the war took a turn for the worst. The last time the young raven haired wizard had seen his father alive had been the night of Albus Dumbledore's murder.

Regulus had been a teenager then and already had reached the impressive height he now had with a face full of stubble and his raven hair growing wildly as if of it's own accord.

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 _ **A drunken Severus Snape had arrived in time to see his teenage son, whom had been hidden from the world and all of his enemies both within and outside of the wizarding world. His obsidian eyes had been filled with a loathing but not for the boy or the crying woman whom only wished to cling to her seemingly ill husband.**_

 _ **"Severus." she said clearly upset as she attempted to get his attention. "Severus don't do this...don't leave us."**_

 _ **Her pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears as Severus Snape's attention had been on the boy that had been so much like him and yet so different.**_

 _ **"There he is." said Snape drunkenly. "The little Prince...my legacy of blood and death is now yours to do with as you please boy, I no longer wish to participate in this farce and will soon receive my just rewards."**_

 _ **Teenage Regulus had not known what his father meant but he knew he needed to help his father get well somehow.**_

 _ **"What's going on?" he asked confused as his mothers sobs increased.**_

 _ **"This is the last time I make this trip boy." said Snape seemingly bitter. "You are no longer a child and I need not shelter you from the truth any longer."**_

 _ **"Severus ,please." said Regulus' mother in an attempt to stop him.**_

 _ **"Let the boy know the truth woman." said the embittered Snape glaring at the boy before him. "You are the product of rape boy, this life constructed to give you the illusion of safety is not reality."**_

 _ **"Regulus, don't listen to this...your father isn't well." said his mother.**_

 _ **Regulus had been in a state of absolute shock as his father continued to enlighten him as to the truths kept hidden from him.**_

 _ **"I was a death eater when I took your mother, and I am a death eater as I stand before you now...the dark lord's second in command since I brought an end to that old fool Albus Dumbledore." said Snape still bitter. "You little prince will inherit my legacy of blood and death...it's inescapable...I know that now...I am as much my father's son as you are mine."**_

 _ **"Dad...you're...perhaps you should lie down." said Regulus unable to fathom what he was being told.**_

 _ **"I am done lying...to myself and to you boy." replied Snape as he moved closer to his teenage son. "I am the reason so many die here an now in the wake of this wizarding war, I gave the dark lord the prophecy that foretold of Potter's birth and his destiny to destroy the dark lord."**_

 _ **"W-Why are you telling me this?" asked the stunned teenager.**_

 _ **"Because you are my son." replied Snape with a coldness in his gaze that Regulus had never known before. "And you carry the same darkness inside you that I have long tried to deny in myself."**_

 _ **"Dad...you're upsetting mom." said the teenager.**_

 _ **"She should be upset." replied Snape without feeling. "She should be reduced to a pile of senders at my feet."**_

 _ **"You don't mean that Severus." she said as the tears continued. "You can't mean that..."**_

 _ **"Do what you will with your new legacy little prince." said Snape before he waved his hand bursting the door into flames and raced out into the night and apparated out of their lives.**_

 _ **"DAD!" called Regulus chasing after him with only the night sky looming above him as the tears streamed down his cheeks.**_

 _ **He didn't understand it then, but he somehow knew that it was his father's way of saying good-bye to them. It seemed if he could get them to hate him, then they wouldn't miss him so much if the inevitable did occur.**_

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Adult Regulus had worked up a fine sweat as the rain beat against the dilapidated brick house that had once been his father's childhood vastly sweaty raven haired wizard could still see the flames engulfing the door of his former home from the burst of magic Severus Snape let off before crashing through the them. His focus had improved, but he still had a ways to go before he achieved the status he wished to have to be on par with his late Potions Master father.


	7. Chapter 6:Limited Inhibitions

_**Chapter 6: Limited**_ ** _Inhibitions_**

 _ **{A/N: Here's Another Update...}**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy S.S.**_

 _Unknown Pub, Wizarding World..._

 _ **A**_ nother round of wild turkey and a side round of firewhiskey and they still had not been enough as Regulus Snape seemed to ease back into his unsavory means of comfort following the tragic death of his long suffering mother. He had to go about planning the funeral alone, unlike when his father had died and she made all the arrangements, of course he saw no point to it given they didn't even have his body to lower into the coffin after everything was all said and done. His father had been very thorough in keeping them from being found out about by anyone friend or enemy.

About halfway into his forth or fifth round, a strange looking freckle faced man with overwhelmingly noticeable red hair and bright blue eyes entered the place. He had been a pasty sort of fellow, filling about the middle but way too sure of himself to do anything about it. He wore attire befitting a nearly middle aged man attempting to capture the glory days of his being in high school but failing miserably.

Regulus had gotten a look at the wedding band on his finger that he seemed intent on hiding from the rest of the world but to no avail. His face wore the wrinkles of responsibility and the consequences of a poor diet.

"Afternoon Earl." he said, his voice at least sounding as that of a fully grown man with a twinge of adolescence. "I'll take the usual...got a big match coming up."

"Sure Ron." replied the old barkeeper with an aged leather face and short gray hair.

"What's been going on around here?" asked the red head man known as Ron.

"Aside from some crazed loon scaring the daylights out of us normal citizens of the wizarding world?" asked the barkeeper Earl. "The bloke's burned down where they manufacture The Daily Prophet."

"Between you and me, that place needed to go, of course not at the expense of national fear and the injured but come on Earl, The Daily Prophet was a rag of a newspaper." said Ron taking a sip from his mug.

The swirling golden liquid had a good deal of froth at the top and he seemed to enjoy it.

"That doesn't mean it should have been burned down that way, decent witches and wizards made a living from that paper too." said Earl.

"I don't dispute that." replied Ron still enjoying his drink. "It's just rather hard to feel sorry for a paper that made my life a living hell."

Earl sighed.

"I just hope Potter's got it in him to put a stop to yet another wizarding war, he isn't some boy from a prophecy and with Snape dead...there's no telling what could happen." he said seemingly weighted by the aspect of another long war in the magical world.

"Indeed." replied Ron. "None of us are getting any younger and we've the children to think about."

The red head scanned the pub and came across a strange new face.

"Who's the bloke in the back?" he asked inquisitively.

Earl followed his line of vision and smirked.

"That there is a Yank." he replied. "Didn't catch his name, but he's the moody sort...doesn't socialize much."

"I'm not surprised." said Ron with a sigh. "Looks like he's in good shape whomever he is, I wonder if he plays Quidditch."

"Ron, I don't think his sort play Qudditch." replied Earl.

"That's too bad." replied Ron. "He'd make one hell of a beater."

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 _Unknown Pub, Wizarding World..._

Regulus had been enjoying his drink in the farthest part of the darkened room. He had been contemplating returning to the brothel before heading back to Spinner's End when suddenly a strange drunken man swiped the glass out of his hand causing it to shatter.

"What the fuck are you doing here yank boy?" he asked in a gruff tone.

The raven haired wizard rolled his eyes. This wasn't the first time he had to put some fool on his back because of a little cultural difference.

"I was enjoying my drink until a balding fuckwad interfered." replied Regulus annoyed.

"Did I say you could enjoy a drink in my pub?" asked the bald fuckwad.

"I don't recall needing to ask your permission to spend my galleons." replied the raven haired wizard.

"Well, now you do." said the bald man with a menacing glare. "And I say you aren't allowed here."

Regulus sighed getting to his feet and demonstrating that he towered above this aggressive balding drunkard. Upon seeing the American stand, Ron also got to his feet. He couldn't in good conscience leave the new bloke to do his fighting alone in a foreign country. The balding drunkard's friends crowed around them making their intent known.

"Alright gentlemen." said the red head known as Ron. "Let's not do anything too hasty...after all we can't have our guest thinking all our countrymen are mental idiots."

Enraged one of the balding drunkard's fellows turned on Ron attempting to fight him. The red head proved to be a much more capable fighter than anyone would have given him credit for at first glance.

He whipped out his wand and wiped the floor with the balding drunkard's friend in an instant leaving it an even match.

"Now." he said with a smirk, "where were we?"

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 _The Alleyway, Wizarding World..._

Blood trickled down Regulus Snape's lip as he continued to attack finding himself moving in sync with the red head wizard known as Ron. The fight inside the pub had spilled into the alley way despite the pouring rain and the limited space.

Regulus tackled one of the drunks and rammed them out the back door where the red head wizard Ron and the other fellow of the balding drunkard followed. Blows were traded wand and physical wise with blood being drawn on either side.

The red head wizard seemed to be having the time of his life despite becoming winded the longer the bout went on. Regulus ended up leveling the balding drunkard and took on the friend that Ron had done his best to hold off.

Everything had been going their way until a strange man appeared wearing black robes and casting hex after hex in their direction. The brawl had been settled by Regulus knocking the final rude drunkard out only to find that Ron was about to be hit with a hex he couldn't defend himself against.

Regulus had not known this Ron, but instinct dictated that he return the favor the red head wizard had given him by stepping into the brawl. The raven haired wizard whipped out his own wand and made short work of the attacker and turned his attention to the winded red head wizard.

"Are you alright, Freckles?" he asked seemingly concerned.

Ron attempted to catch his breath and sighed.

"Not as young as I use to be." he replied with a seemingly sad smile.

"No, you're just not in as good a shape as you use to be." replied Regulus noting the chubby belly in front of the red head wizard.

"Thanks for the help in my self loathing." replied Ron with an annoyed expression.

"Any time, Freckles." replied Regulus.

"What's a bloke like you doing to get people all steamed up?" asked Ron curious.

"I suppose it's part of my charm." replied Regulus casually.

"That other wizard, he wasn't with the one we were brawling." observed Ron.

"I gathered that with the strange rob and the intent to kill you." said Regulus. "By the way who do you know that wants you dead?"

"Aside from my wife if she finds out about my visits to Madam Lucy?" asked Ron with a chuckle.

"You're married?" asked Regulus as if surprised by this turn of events despite seeing the wedding ring on his pale finger.

"I-It's complicated." replied Ron. "We married young and after the trauma of the wizarding war."

"So you think that justifies cheating on her?" asked Regulus.

"Hey I didn't recall asking you for judgement on my relationship." said Ron angrily.

"And I didn't recall needing to get mixed up with some red head freckle faced jerk that cheats on his wife...and if she's hot by the way you should burn in hell." said Regulus. "Who ever you are, there are people trying to kill you and being anywhere you are is a danger in it of itself."

Ron sighed.

"I don't really know who tried to kill me." he replied. "And this by the way is my first time noting the attempt, I assumed it was someone after you."

"I get into trouble just fine on my own." replied Regulus. "As far as the attempts on my life, all in a days work given who my father was."

"Who was your father?" asked Ron curious.

"He's dead and buried as far as I know." replied the raven haired wizard. "I suggest you keep to the shadows or go find some protection or something, you my can handle a one on one fight but anymore numbers and you'd be a goner."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." replied Ron. "I'll bet I'd be cocky too if I was your age...what is your age by the way?"

"Are you kidding me?" asked Regulus. "I'm thirty eight."

The red head wizard known as Ron's eyes widened. The strange American wizard had been only a year older than him and he was as fit as a fiddle.

Before Ron could say anything more, Regulus had put his in his pockets and made his way toward the nearest brothel.

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 _The Granger Weasley-Residence, The Burrows, Wizarding World..._

Hermione Granger-Weasley's amber eyes had been wide as Harry Potter described the events of the previous night to her. The strange double serpent sigil had gotten a lot of attention unwanted or other wise but the latest attack on The Daily Prophet had been something that had shaken the entire wizarding world.

"What do you suppose they want?" asked Hermione holding a brand new edition of The Quibbler. "The attackers I mean?"

"They appear to have some kind of vendetta against me." replied Harry Potter sitting at her kitchen table with a piece of toast in front of him. Beside the toast was a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. "I can't think of anything that I've done in all these years to warrant such drastic actions towards me."

"Really Harry?" asked the amber eyed witch with her brow arched. "You can't think of anything?"

"Getting Snape's portrait into the Headmaster's office was the right thing to do." said Harry gripping his toast and tearing it in half. "He was a good man despite his faults."

"I was there Harry." replied Hermione with a sigh. "You don't have to convince me...I've always admired Professor Snape, but he kept so many secrets for so long...and the way everything played out...you can't truly blame everyone for still feeling a bit sore about it."

"Well I don't care." replied Harry biting into his piece of toast. "Snape may have been a git but he saved my life and the lives of everyone else in the wizarding world."

"I agree." replied the amber eyed witch still going over The Quibbler article on the recent events surrounding this mysterious masked wizard. "But whomever this is they seem to have a personal agenda concerning you."

"I bet it's Malfoy." said Harry bitterly. "He was always trying to make a fool of me and this little stunt was just enough to shake public opinion. "

"Harry, Draco is happily married with a son of his own." replied Hermione. "Scorpius I think is what they named him."

"Well, I think the entire Malfoy family is rotten to the core." said the green eyed wizard bitterly.

"I would have to disagree." said the amber eyed witch meeting her best friend's gaze. "They saved your life and lied to Voldemort during the second wizarding war."

"So what Mione, that doesn't excuse a life time of being evil." he replied seemingly bitter.

"Some people say the same about Snape or your father." said Hermione truthfully. "Or Sirius."

Harry sighed.

Given the antics of the very wizards he held in high regard, he knew he had no real right to judge anyone.

"You're right Mione." he said conceding the point. "As always."

"Naturally." she replied amused but her amusement quickly faded when she glanced back at front page of The Quibbler. "This can't be the start of another war Harry, we have children of our own to consider this time around."

Harry sighed thinking the exact same as he stared out the window. As he focused on the far off distance, something happened, his already limited vision blurred and he found himself falling into the darkest recesses of his own mind.

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 _ **Unknown Location, Unknown World...**_

 _ **High winds blew as the sky darkened above. A lone figure cloaked in ebony and vast darkness stood atop a grass-less hilltop. The rock and rubble crumbling beneath his dragon hide boots as he shifted his weight or lack there of back and forth. His palms had been sweaty and his heart beat thunderously in his ebony clad chest. Lengthy raven hair had stretched out like the wild mane from a stallion as he stood in the wind.**_

 _ **"Why did you call me here Severus?" asked the thunderous voice of Albus Dumbledore.**_

 _ **Severus Snape immediately fell to his knees holding his wand in a relaxed position to assure the superior elder wizard of his submission.**_

 _ **"Please..." he begged like an insolent child. "Please don't kill me...I beg of you."**_

 _ **The Headmaster of Hogwarts looked upon the whimpering death eater with absolute disgust.**_

 _ **"You sicken me." he said not at all bothering to hide the contempt behind his tone.**_

 _ **"Please..." said Severus lowering himself into the dirt in an attempt to appease the greatly enraged elder wizard. "I-I beg you...I have information...it...it pertains to the Potters and The Dark Lord."**_

 _ **Albus Dumbledore moved in a much more swift manner than even Severus Snape anticipated as he closed in on the death eater before him catching him by the collar in his rage.**_

 _ **"What do you know about the Potters?" demanded Dumbledore with his expression harsh and his blue eyes like ice.**_

 _ **"I-I know about the prophecy." replied Snape. "I-I was the one that spoke of it to the dark lord."**_

 _ **Dumbledore threw the younger death eater wizard onto the ground almost ready to end his miserable life.**_

 _ **"P-Please...Headmaster...I know that I am less than nothing to you and that my words mean equally so...but you have to save Lily." he managed despite the fear and the anguish filling him. "Do what you will to me..but Lily must be saved...she is a good woman...she doesn't deserve to be killed by the dark lord."**_

 _ **"Do you really believe that I'd listen to the ramblings of a foolish boy dead set on regaining the affections of a girl whom has forgotten him?" asked Dumbledore still harsh in his tone. "Does her one year old son or the husband she swore to spend her life with mean nothing to you...are their lives not just as innocent?"**_

 _ **"Then save them." replied Snape knowing that he'd say whatever needed to be said to ensure they survived. "Hide them Headmaster, hide them all if need be just save her."**_

 _ **"I cannot change the dark lord's mind Severus." said Dumbledore.**_

 _ **"Please." pleaded Snape unable to hold back the tears that had been streaming down his sallow pale cheeks. "Please Headmaster, save them."**_

 _ **Dumbledore's harsh expression had not faded as he sighed.**_

 _ **"And what will you give me in return for such a favor, Severus Snape?" he asked as if in disbelief of the death eater's commitment to his old friend.**_

 _ **"Anything." replied Snape without a moment's thought.**_

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 _ **Unknown Location, Unknown World...**_

 _ **The death eater known as Severus Snape entered a strangely cozy flat his obsidian eyes falling on a small crib where a nearly two year old baby boy with raven hair and obsidian eyes not so unlike his own rested peacefully. His small pale hand had been balled into a fist and in front of his sleeping face.**_

 _ **"Sleep my little prince." said Snape softly. "For you are my redemption."**_

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 _The Kitchen, Granger-Weasley Residence, Wizarding World..._

Harry Potter had been stunned as he found himself blinking away the remnants of the strange memory that had been hidden deep within his mind.

"Harry are you alright?" asked a concerned Hermione whom had been in front of him.

The green eyed wizard blinked for a moment then straightened his glasses.

"I-I'm fine Mione." he replied unsure what had happened to him.

"You mentioned children then went off to some other world." said Hermione still visibly concerned for her best friends.

"I-I think I've just experienced one of Snape's memories." said the green eyed wizard seemingly shaken.

"How is that possible without the pensive?" asked the amber eyed witch.

"I-I don't know...but I...I saw him and Dumbledore...they were talking about my parents...it was the moment Snape switched sides I think..." said Harry seemingly unable to grasp it all. "Then...everything changed and there was this baby...he couldn't have been no more than two or something and he was asleep in a crib...he looked so much like Snape...and he called him "Little Prince."

"Little Prince?" asked Hermione with an arched brow. "What a strange name."

"I don't think it was a name." replied Harry. "More like a nickname...like Snape's...Half-Blood Prince name...only he said it with a good deal of affection."

"Do you think Professor Snape had children?" asked Hermione. "Perhaps it was his son."

"T-There's been no record of anyone being born to Snape...we checked when we were looking for the Half-Blood Prince." said Harry confused.

"Yes, but we hadn't found out just whom the Half-Blood Prince was until Snape told you that it was him." said Hermione seemingly intrigued. "What if Snape hid his child, given his position in the first and second wizarding wars, it would make sense."

"Snape was a clever bloke, it's possible...given the boy looked so much like him." he said still amazed. "If Snape's boy was two when Voldemort attacked my parents that makes his son..."

"A year older than you." replied Hermione doing the math in seconds. "He'd be my age."

"I-I suppose so." replied the green eyed wizard stunned.

"Well, if Snape's son is indeed out there...where do you suppose he was sent to be shielded from the war?" asked Hermione.

"I don't have a clue." replied Harry. "Just as I don't have a clue whom it is that wants to challenge me so badly."

"One thing at a time I suppose." replied Hermione looking back at The Quibbler.

"I suppose." agreed Harry.

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 _The Brothel, Wizarding World..._

Regulus Snape sighed looking up at the ceiling as his back was pressed against the mattress of bed he had been briefly occupying with a spent woman whom had been fast asleep beside him. He hardly recalled her name as he pounded all of his fury and loneliness into her wet and warm center. The added euphoria from the brawl and drink had been beneficial to say the least.

The raven hair of the thirty something wizard had been sticking to his sweat blasted pale flesh as he continued to recall the wild nature of his night. It was clear that he had a deep rooted need to seek out unsavory things and often found himself in situations where his life was placed in jeopardy or his adrenaline kicked in.

It didn't take a particularly brilliant mind to conclude that he had gotten this from his father. The self destructive patterns seemed to have been ingrained when it came to the Snape men in the family. His grandfather was a brutish drunkard whom had taken his misfortunes out on his own wife and son. His father was a self loathing drunkard that took out his rage upon himself at any cost. He himself had been something of a thrill seeker, a cross between a brutish drunk given his need to brawl now and again and self loathing where he risked his life for the decidedly dumbest of reasons.

No matter the generation, it appeared that all Snape men had a taste for drink and bedding women. Given the only kindness dealt to them in consideration for their varying looks, they were very well endowed and knew how to use such a gift to their advantage.

The sleeping whore to his right had been pleased given that he had pounded her until she seemingly lost consciousness. He smirked given all the crap she had given him about being able to best him due to the country he grew up in. She spoke of breaking him like she had so many before him. Regulus had been amused to say the least as he proceeded to show her otherwise.

It was strange, given that the entire time he had been bedding the wanton whore that had accepted his coin, his mind had traveled back to the unobtainable married witch Hermione. She had been a beautiful young woman with the warmest set of amber eyes he had ever seen. He had half expected her to come barging in again and throwing hexes.

He felt it was almost worth it to see her again. Her fiery temper was amusing if nothing else, and her spell work was impressive, he had not a scar on him from that night and everything had been in it's proper place. He didn't know whom the idiot she married had been but he didn't think him worthy of such an intelligent and passionate witch.

Feeling his libido stir once again, Regulus turned his attention to the sleeping whore beside him. He still had a few hours to go yet before the dawn and he'd be back out into the street and searching for his next distraction. Anything to avoid what had been the inevitable funeral for his long suffering mother.


	8. Chapter 7:Laid To Rest

_**Chapter 7: Laid To Rest**_

 _ **Mature Content Ahead, Rape Elements Ahead...**_

 _Cemetery, Cokeworth, England, Muggle World..._

 **H** eavy rain had been pouring down on the solemn son of Severus Sebastian Snape. Regulus Snape had spent a good deal of time trying to forget the inevitable as he fumbled through pubs and dark alleys in search of a way to put it all behind him. He had been more like Snape than he realized as he stood letting the heavy drops fall upon him, his lengthy raven hair had been soaked and sticking to his black suit clad broad shoulders.

His the suit had belonged to Severus Snape and had been the only other article of clothing he had at Spinner's End. It looked to be something for the occasion so the younger Snape put it on without a thought to what his old man had worn it for.

The swollen clouds of seemingly endless gray only damped his already low mood. He elected to show up sober, given his mother had no outside family, if she had she had never mentioned them choosing instead to focus on her life with Severus Snape.

Regulus could never understand how a muggle woman like Elaine Hillar could leave her world to pursue a relationship with a closely guarded recluse of a wizard like Severus S. Snape and be as devoted to him as she was. Initially, he believed his mother might have been under some sort of potions effect given that Snape was a Potions Master and capable of a great many things.

He had been enraged when the dour wizard told him that he had indeed been the product of rape, but his mother explained how that had only been partly true. She defended Severus Snape's memory to her son with her last breath and he never understood why given how often Snape left them alone to live out his other life in England.

As he got older, Regulus was told bits and pieces of his parents history. The most important story she told her son was that her name had not truly been Elaine Chilton, and that she had come from a very wealthy muggle family in the English countryside. She had told her only son that a night out with friends turned into a very deadly affair and that if it had not been for his father she would have indeed been senders at his feet.

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 _ **Hillar & Chilton Bookstore, England, Muggle World...**_

 _ **Delilah Mildred Fairchild had been skeptical about going out despite the good weather and the company of her friends. She had been tired and wished to stay home and do some reading. She had been accompanied by Elaine Hillar, Georgia Louise Stevens, Amy Chilton.**_

 _ **Like Elaine and Amy, Delilah had come from a wealthy muggle family and enjoyed spending time with them. They were set to start another grueling session at Uni and she was more interested in studying before the pop quizzes began to roll in.**_

 _ **Elaine wished to go out for a bit and get in some fun before they all had to go back to "hitting the books" so to speak.**_

 _ **Georgia had been all for it as had Amy.**_

 _ **Delilah had been against it but succumbed to the pressure from her peers and all four of them loaded into Amy's jeep for the trip. There had been nothing special about four teenage girls with a driving permit and the world at their finger tips to get out and enjoy themselves before classes began.**_

 _ **On the way to a favorite dining spot, Georgia wished to stop by Amy and Elaine's family bookstore for a special edition textbook they had in stock that she had been waiting weeks for.**_

 _ **It began as a trip with all giggles and hopes for the future. There was even talk of good looking gentlemen to settle down with and children that would come of marriage and happiness.**_

 _ **As the girls participated in idol chatting, a ball of light came from out of nowhere and caused Elaine to swerve off the road.**_

 _ **The next thing they all knew everything went dark and they ended up in a strange room of cold gray stone. There were strange creatures around them, one with glowing red eyes and another like a beast of some kind.**_

 _ **Others wore robes of gray and various masks of white. Delilah had been passed over as the beast took both Amy and Georgia. She could hear their screams as they were pulled into darkness never to be seen again.**_

 _ **One of those cloaked in gray laid claim to Elaine whom took one last look at Delilah before she too was pulled away into darkness. She had not screamed seeming to come to the conclusion that she was going to die. She mouthed good-bye to Delilah as tears streamed down her cheeks.**_

 _ **The gray clad brute pulled her by her hair laughing at her self imposed strength as if it meant nothing to him.**_

 _ **When Delilah's turn came, she was presented to a strange looking teenage boy with the darkest eyes she had ever seen. His skin was as pale as a ghost and he was incredibly thin. His hair was long reaching his back and shoulders and he wore black.**_

 _ **She had not known it then, but this was her first introduction to newly recruited death eater Severus Sebastian Snape. He didn't seem capable of any emotions as he looked upon her.**_

 _ **The creature with glowing red eyes spoke and he replied in a strangely monotone voice. He had the essence of youth but the harshness of adulthood in his voice that seemed to invoke a sense of pity in her.**_

 _ **In her mind, she believed he had not been like the others. He did stick out like a sore thumb despite his attempts to be counted among them.**_

 _ **He called the strange creature "my lord."**_

 _ **She thought it odd and equally terrifying.**_

 _ **"SSS-She is-s-s your-s-s S-S-Severus." it hissed like a serpent. "T-Take her as you will."**_

 _ **"Thank you, my lord." the strange boy known as Severus replied almost dutifully.**_

 _ **Delilah found herself looking into the obsidian eyes of Severus Snape shortly before he raised what looked to be a sleep black stick and everything went dark.**_

 _ **EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE**_

 _ **Delilah awoke in a strange bedroom finding that she had been bound by her limbs and gagged. Panic filled her and her heart rate increased.**_

 _ **"What are you doing?" asked the voice from the darkness.**_

 _ **She seemed to calm when she realized whom it was.**_

 _ **"S-Severus." she said recalling the name the creature had used before.**_

 _ **The teenager climbed onto the bed with the same sleek black stick pointed at her throat.**_

 _ **"How do you know my name?" he asked seemingly paranoid by her recognition.**_

 _ **"I-I heard that thing mention it." replied Delilah honestly.**_

 _ **"Thing?" asked Severus with an arched brow.**_

 _ **"With the red eyes." she continued. "What you call...lord."**_

 _ **Severus glared at her intently for a moment.**_

 _ **"You." he said annoyed. "You should learn to keep your thoughts quiet."**_

 _ **"I-I didn't know they were so loud." she said as if desperate to connect with him in some fashion.**_

 _ **"Your little friends are already gone." he said bluntly, confirming her recent thought.**_

 _ **Delilah had been saddened but remained strong despite her heartbreak.**_

 _ **"That will not help you, it did little for your friend Elaine." he said watching her for a reaction.**_

 _ **"I know." she replied as the tears fell down her cheeks. "Are you going to do the same to me?"**_

 _ **Severus was silent for a moment. Then he sighed as if a conversation with her was taking a good deal of effort.**_

 _ **"I am...not so barbaric as that." he replied in an emotionless tone. "Your end will be quick and painless."**_

 _ **"I thank you for that much at least." she replied seeming to resign to her fate.**_

 _ **"Are you not afraid?" he asked as if confused.**_

 _ **"Why fear what's already known?" she replied without emotion. "It's what isn't known that tends to frighten people."**_

 _ **Severus glared at her as if she had been mental.**_

 _ **"You do not fear death?" he asked still confused by her attitude.**_

 _ **"I fear not knowing." she replied sadly. "I suppose we should get whatever you plan to do to me over with."**_

 _ **Severus seemed startled by her cooperation. No one had ever cooperated before, least of all spoken to him with such hopeful familiarity.**_

 _ **"I am going to ravage you until I've had my fill and then you are to be eliminated." he said in a harsh tone.**_

 _ **It did little to effect the already resigned Delilah Fairchild.**_

 _ **"Do what you please." she said emotionless.**_

 _ **Something in her strange mood as he drew back from her. He paced the side of the room a bit before turning the sleek black stick he held so firmly within his large pale hands.**_

 _ **"What is your name?" he asked almost hissing as the red eyed creature had.**_

 _ **"D-Delilah." she said finding it strange to be telling the person whom would be her murderer her name. "Delilah Fairchild."**_

 _ **Severus sighed again.**_

 _ **"I am, Severus." he said for seemingly no reason at all. "Severus S. Snape, you are a muggle...non magical being brought to the fortress of the dark lord for the amusement of our brothers...he gave you to me as a reward for my loyalty in a brewing wizarding war. "**_

 _ **"A-Are you a wizard Severus?" asked Delilah nervously. "I've never seen one before."**_

 _ **"I-I am." he replied.**_

 _ **Severus showed her the sleek black stick her gripped.**_

 _ **"This is my wand." he said with a smirk. "At least the one I hold in my hand the longest."**_

 _ **Delilah wanted to laugh at the joke but her eyes were fixed on the "wand" he held, it was clear the sleek black stick had the power to end her life.**_

 _ **"A-Are you going to...?" she began.**_

 _ **"Not yet." he replied with a glint of something dark behind his already dark eyes. "I'm suppose to ravage you remember?"**_

 _ **Delilah had not known what that meant but she figured it would be worse if it had not been a wizard as nice as Severus, at least he spoke to her in possibly her final conversation before her death.**_

 _ **"Okay." she said.**_

 _ **Severus seemed nervous as he stepped away from her. She could tell by shuffling sound that he was shedding his robes. Delilah had never seen a boy naked before, she had only been sixteen and this Severus Snape had been the only one to show any sort of interest in her, sexual or otherwise.**_

 _ **She closed her eyes for a moment, reflecting on her life before all of this happened. There had been so much she wanted to experience and then it hit her, she had never even had her first kiss.**_

 _ **The make-shift bed she had been tied to dipped as Severus climbed onto it then onto her. She didn't know what to make of the numerous scars that lined the pale young wizard's body and her eyes seemed to be fixated on them.**_

 _ **"S-Severus." she said rather nervously.**_

 _ **The raven haired teen moved between her thighs causing her to tense up.**_

 _ **"What?" he asked unsure why she had been so tense given her resignation in terms of her fate.**_

 _ **"I-I've never done this before." she said softly. "I've never even had my first kiss."**_

 _ **Severus froze for a moment.**_

 _ **"Y-You're a...a virgin?" he asked as if in disbelief.**_

 _ **"Y-Yes." she replied seemingly ashamed. "I-I never had much luck with boys back home."**_

 _ **"Fuck." hissed Severus attempting to pull away from her.**_

 _ **"P-Please don't..." she started. "Please don't go...if this is going to be my last night alive...I'm glad that I get to spend it with someone like you."**_

 _ **Severus had been confused. She was told she was going to be killed and that she was given to him to be raped and discarded like yesterday's waste and here she was being sweet and hopeful for something good to come out of it.**_

 _ **"Why?" he asked stunned. "No one has ever...why are you so strange?"**_

 _ **Delilah sighed.**_

 _ **"I-I don't know." she replied. "You looked so sad when I first saw you...it's kind of like...well I use to feel before I met my friends."**_

 _ **"Your friends are dead." said the teenage wizard spitefully.**_

 _ **"I know." said Delilah near tears. "And I know that you aren't very nice...but if this is my last night, perhaps you can make a few concessions...like a last request."**_

 _ **Severus seemed to take what she said into consideration.**_

 _ **"Y-You are...as you wish." he said conceding to her request.**_

 _ **He moved back between her legs and seemed quite nervous as he pressed his pale lips into her soft pink ones. She closed her eyes in a bid to recall every second to memory, despite the impending knowledge of her death at this boy's hands.**_

 _ **Severus pulled back after a while and looked down at her harshly.**_

 _ **"There's your kiss." he said harshly but lacked the conviction.**_

 _ **Before Delilah could say anything more, Severus positioned himself at her entrance in a bid to get this all over with. This strange girl had made him quite uncomfortable and he had been a very busy death eater.**_

 _ **The clueless Delilah gasped as Severus entered her rather forcefully taking his pleasure in the wake of her pain. As he thrust rather clumsily into her, he began to note the soft whimpers and tears coming from her. He slowed his pace feeling what he knew not as his guilt and took to kissing her as he thrust to make up for his rude entry.**_

 _ **As the hours passed, Delilah found that she enjoyed Severus' antics and that she felt sad that this was to be their only encounter. She felt the rush of his release and he pulled away from her as quick as he could manage.**_

 _ **"I-I have to...kill you now." he said almost as if the thought of the act brought him great pain.**_

 _ **He pulled up his trousers and moved toward the shadows. He refused to look at her given all that they had shared.**_

 _ **"C-Can you untie me, just for a second." she said softly. "I-I never got to touch you."**_

 _ **Severus didn't understand this girl at all. He had just told her he was going to kill her after raping her for several hours. Instead of screaming out in terror and cowering at his touch, she wanted to touch him in return.**_

 _ **Without thinking, he used his want to release one of her hands and walked over toward her. She ran her fingers across his bare chest feeling the scars she had been so fascinated with.**_

 _ **"You aren't such a bad person, Severus." she said sweetly. "I might have dated you in another life...perhaps even married you."**_

 _ **He rolled his eyes not believing her in the slightest.**_

 _ **"I'm ready." she said taking a breath. "At least I got the chance to become a woman with a nice boy like you."**_

 _ **Severus raised his wand but didn't utter the incantation. He walked over toward her and kissed her passionately. She returned his kiss at peace with what was to become of her. She heard the boy's voice and then everything went dark.**_

 _ **EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE**_

 _ **Delilah Fairchild awoke to find that she had been in the center of an open field. The wind was blowing and it was quite cold but she had been certain that she was alive. In her state of confusion, she barely registered the lone figure standing a short distance from her.**_

 _ **"S-Severus?" she said confused.**_

 _ **"Where you go from here is not my concern." he said in a cold and emotionless tone. "I have done quite enough putting myself at risk as it is."**_

 _ **He handed her a small pouch and waved his wand creating something warm for her to wear as if out of thin air.**_

 _ **"Keep to the shadows, one never knows when the snatchers will be out...don't ever travel alone and for Merlin's sake don't let me see you in that throne room again." he said as he attempted to step away from her. "I suggest you get a new identity, I've gone through great pains to ensure my brothers believed you to be dead."**_

 _ **Delilah grabbed him by the collar and for an instant they stared into each other's eyes. Grateful tears streamed down her cheeks as she kissed him with all the passion she could muster. Severus pulled away at the last second and moved to prepare his departure.**_

 _ **"Thank you, Severus." she said meaningfully.**_

 _ **"Don't thank me." he replied bitterly. "Forget I ever existed."**_

 _ **A loud clap of thunder resounded and he was gone.**_

 _ **EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE**_

 _ **Delilah Fairchild made her way down a short stretch of highway where she ended up at a far off bed and breakfast. The old couple, Mr. and Mrs. Bower ran it and they took her in ensuring that she became apart of their family, when they asked her name she told them that it had been Elaine, Elaine Louise Hillar.**_

 _ **Elaine assisted the couple with their business and became like the daughter they never had. Three months into her new life, Elaine fell ill, or at least she believed she had until a trip to the clinic with Mrs. Bower.**_

 _ **The doctor revealed to her that she had been pregnant.**_

 _ **Elaine had only been sixteen years old when an eighteen year old Severus Snape had gotten her pregnant.**_

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 _Cemetery, Cokeworth England, Muggle World..._

Regulus couldn't hold back the tears that swelled in the corners of his eyes. His mother had made sure to tell him that story before the news of Severus Snape's death reached them. She had not wanted him to hate the wizard that had done so much for her even if it had been as a result of a moment of weakness.

He wondered if she was truly happy or if she was reunited with the grouch old man in another life. She had been a wonderful woman given all she endured to keep their little family together. The news of her husband's death was the final nail in her coffin. She lingered a bit for the sake of her son but she simply could not bare life without Severus Snape.

Regulus placed a black rose over his mother's fine wood casket as the rain continued to pour around him. He wanted to believe that the two of them final enjoyed a happiness in their next life that eluded them in this one.

He took his leave of the cemetery needing a drink now more than ever.


	9. Chapter 8: Cumbersome

_**Chapter 8: Cumbersome**_

 _Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World..._

Panic filled the mind of a terrified Ginerva Weasley-Potter as she raced down the rain slick forbidden alley in a bid to escape her current pursuer. She had not been alone as there had been a small boy with almost raven colored dark hair, and pale skin that gave him the appearance of being sickly when he had been in perfect health as far as anyone could tell. The younger wizard boy had been strangely calm as his mother rushed him through the forbidden ally in a bid to keep him safe amid the wand play.

"Shit!" said Ginny fiercely aiming her wand at her attacker only to find she had missed her carefully aimed spell.

Harry had warned her not to go out, given the situation with this new threat in the wizarding world but she had been determined to live her life no matter what the next overzealous nutter had to say about it.

She had originally planned to take Albus Severus to get a new pair of shoes, choosing rather wisely to leave behind James II and Lily at her mothers. Had the witch known the trip would be this dangerous, she would definitely have stayed home with her son and asked Harry to retrieve the shoes.

Ginny reached the alley and hid between two rundown shops long abandoned during the first wizarding war given the original owners had long since been dead, killed by the despot Voldemort during his first rise to power for not bending the knee to him.

Albus Severus had been strangely silent, most of the time he always seemed to be worlds away from anything that had been taking place and never like to play with any of the other children. Harry had doted a good deal of affection on him in a bid to compensate for his strange behaviors but it all seemed to no avail.

No matter what anyone tried, Albus Severus seemed to be detached from all things concerning emotion. At the moment, Ginny had preferred her son's indifference to him being possibly upset due to the strange robed men following them. She had not known what they wanted but she was sure that they were not going to touch her son no matter the strength of their magic.

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 _Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World..._

Regulus Snape had been enjoying a cigarette, a dangerous and disgusting pastime if he were to be honest but he seemed to be engaging in a lot of life threatening situations. The cold chill that hung in the air had been no different than the passed few days as he made his way down the ally after flinging the crushed cigarette into a puddle of water.

He was annoyed with the way his life had turned out, once a promising wizard with a bright future to look forward to and now he had been as lost as a high school drop out in search of a purpose and hating the world because they knew it not.

The rather tall raven haired wizard paid no attention to the news reports nor the mass hysteria surrounding this strange group of magical individuals with astounding magical talents. He had been more interested in where he could score another drink or at the very least a companion to bed.

The empty house in which he now resided had once belonged to the seemingly forgotten Snape clan. His funds were substantial considering his father managed to acquire quite a massive fortune over the years via various projects and his potions patents. Regulus had been adept in potions of course but he never felt that he had been driven to it like Severus Snape had.

Charms were his specialty.

It amused the then teenage Regulus to demonstrate his abilities only to have his father declare it as simple "Foolish wand waving, and silly incantations."

It had not escaped the boy's notice that Severus Snape was known to have created a great many spells in his tumultuous youth.

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 _Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World..._

Ginny Potter had not been looking where she had been going, a factor that Regulus might have attributed to her husband as well when she and barely eleven year old Albus Severus crashed into him.

"What the fuck?" he said confused as he scrambled to his feet dusting off his shirt in the wake of the collision. "Is this an epidemic in this country?"

Ginny turned her attention to the strangely rude American bloke whom had impeded her escape.

"WATCH OUT!" shouted Regulus as he immediately sprang into action.

He had not the time to argue nor to draw his own wand as he used his body to shield Ginerva Potter and her young son from the blast of a strangely robed man's wand.

The effects of whatever spell he used had been instantaneous as Regulus found himself knocked unconscious. The delay was all Ginny needed to launch a counter spell and knocked the attacker out before checking on her young son.

Albus Severus had been perfectly alright but he seemed puzzled as to the condition of the strange American that had shielded them from the attacker's blast.

Ginny looked down at the raven haired young wizard whom had been a good deal older than her if she were being honest but not old enough to constitute middle age. His pale skin and lengthy raven hair had been alarming to say the least as she tried to recollect where she had seen it before.

"He looks just like a younger Professor Snape." she remarked more to herself as she gently led her son out of harms way and examined the downed wizard. "He looks exactly like a young Professor Snape."

Albus Severus pointed to what looked like a strange tattoo on his right shoulder, she had not known if it was the result of the attacker's spell or if it had been due to his own design but it was strange to say the least.

"S.B.D." said Ginny reading it aloud. " I wonder what that means."

The young mother had not wished to leave the poor heroic fellow lying in the middle of a dank and dangerous alley, so she quickly cast a levitation spell over his dead weighted form and disapparated back to The Burrows with her young inquisitive son in tow.


	10. Chapter 9:Stranger In The Midst

_**Chapter 9: Stranger In The Midst**_

 _Strange Bedroom,The Potter Residence, The Burrows, Wizarding World..._

Gasping for breath, Regulus Snape awoke to find himself in the center of a large four poster bed with soft covers and plush pillows. The last thing he recalled had been jumping between a pasty red head and her little boy with strangely familiar green eyes. He found that he had been shirtless, a possible method in a bid to heal him properly and that his shirt right along with his jeans had been in the chair on the opposite side of the room. He had felt no residual pain from the hex or whatever it had been but the force of it knocked him out cold.

The raven haired wizard slicked his hair back from his face, a seemingly compulsive gesture on his part given how much he resembled his late father. He moved rather slowly finding his muscles had been more than a little stiff from his involuntary nap courtesy of some robed idiot. As he sat up in a bid to get up off the bed, the bedroom door opened to find a familiar sight before him.

Amber eyes met those of obsidian as Hermione Granger-Weasley entered the room with a bowl of hot soup and crackers. Regulus smiled a bit when he saw her recognizing the beautiful witch instantly.

"Well...well..." he said pleased to see her. "We ought to stop meeting like this, you barging through doors and me naked...well half naked in this case...and it's good that you've brought food instead of painful hexes."

Hermione shook her head.

"Of all the people for my sister in law to bring home she picks up the cheeky American stray that looks a lot like my former Potions Professor." she countered.

"So she has an impressive wit to go along with the gorgeous body." said Regulus arching his eyebrows in a rather suggestive manner.

"Stop it git, I happen to be a married woman you know." she said setting the tray containing his would be supper on the end table beside the bed.

Regulus looked over at the door, noting that it had been half closed and with speed and grace reminiscent of the late Potions Professor, he pulled Hermione to him once her hands were free of the tray.

"I noticed that you didn't say that you were happily married." he said with an arched brow as he held her close to his bare chest.

"If you don't want to be the victim of another painful hex, you will let me go." she said in warning.

Regulus did as she requested having had his fill of her wrath for now.

"As you wish." he said letting her step back from him.

The apparent heat behind his obsidian eyes seemed to make her all the more nervous. Hermione made her way to the door trying her best to suppress the images of their first encounter where she walked in on him bedding a common whore with a degree of sexual prowess she had never witnessed before.

"Thanks for the grub." he said letting the sheet that covered him drop and causing her to gasp in the assumption that he had been as naked as before.

He had been wearing a pair of boxer shorts but the outline of his impressive appendage could still be seen no matter how hard the amber eyed witch tried to unsee it.

Regulus chuckled rather darkly and turned his attention to the bowl of warm soup. He had not been hungry when he awoke but seeing it seemed to stimulate his dormant appetite. He sat on the edge of the bed and began to shovel spoonfuls of the mixed vegetables into his mouth.

Ordinarily, Hermione would have been put off by someone eating like they had little to no formal training in terms of manners but this strange American seemed to make rushed eating into an art form. He clearly put Ron to shame finishing in record time and drinking down the glass of iced tea she had set aside from him while he polished off the crackers.

Before leaving, the married witch wondered how long it had been since the poor wizard actually had a meal, let alone a hot one.

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 _The Kitchen, The Potter Residence, Wizarding World..._

Harry James Potter had been finishing off the last of his coffee when Hermione came into the kitchen. She had seemed a bit shaken but quickly came to her senses as she sat down in an empty chair and shifted her focus to her best friend.

"Are you alright Mione?" asked Harry inquisitively.

"I-I'm fine Harry." replied the amber eyed witch. "That strange bloke is awake in case you are interested."

"The American bloke that saved Ginny and Sev?" asked the green eyed wizard. "Excellent."

"I don't see what's so excellent about it?" asked Hermione annoyed by his enthusiasm. "He's bloody rude and arrogant...and pushy."

"I know." replied Harry with a sigh. "I believed that too the first time I met him but he saved my life during a fight with one of those strange new cult wizards...and today he shows up just in time to save my wife and son."

"Apparently his little fan club is growing." muttered Hermione.

"Don't be like that Mione." said the green eyed wizard in a charming tone. "I'm sure he's just feeling a bit out of place given that he's in a new country and all that...maybe he isn't a bad as you think."

"And maybe he is." replied Hermione with a sigh. "Ever since Professor Snape died you've gone out of your way to see good in people and the truth still remains that it's not always possible to tell the difference, Harry."

"I-I made a mistake with Professor Snape." said the green eyed wizard softly. "I don't intend to do that with this bloke."

"Just be careful Harry." said Hermione being cautious. "There has to be a reason why everyone seems to run into him whenever those robed wizards attack."

"Or it could just be due to everyone ending up in Knockturn Alley where he seems to frequent." said Harry set his coffee mug onto the counter. "Perhaps he has a reason to go there so often and it's lucky for us that he does."

Hermione's cheeks reddened when he said this.

"Mione?" asked Harry studying his best friend. "Do you know something?"

"W-Well I..." she began.

"She kinda met me at a brothel looking for her bone head husband to be with one of the girls." said the voice of Regulus Snape as he entered the kitchen with his accumulated dishes.

He had finished his meal and had been feeling up to moving about so he decided to bring them down personally.

"She wasn't very happy to see me if you know what I mean, but I was more or less too busy to properly introduce myself." continued Regulus. "So doll face, you've got geek boy here and red riding hood I assume is your sister in law?"

"Harry and I are simply friends." said Hermione not at all wishing to be labeled as being her best friend's wife. "Well, in-laws sort of given our respective spouses."

"Harry?" asked Regulus thinking the name needed work.

"As in Harry James Potter." said Hermione noting the sour expression on the American bloke's sallow pale face.

"So you're the dude everyone goes on and on about?" said Regulus seemingly surprised. "You look kinda small for a "Hero of the Wizarding World."

Harry sighed.

He had tried his hardest to live a normal life and put all that Voldemort had done behind him. It seemed his reputation had reached the shores of the new world as well.

"T-That's the first time I've heard that." he said refilling his coffee cup. "And since we are making introductions, what might your name be?"

"My friends call me Reg." said Regulus not at all wishing to discuss himself.

"Reg?" asked Hermione with a sour expression on her face as she tried to imagine why anyone would name their child "Reg."

The tall raven haired wizard sighed reading her expression loud and clear.

"It's short for Regulus." he admitted. "You know like the constellation, I'm it's suppose to mean "Little Prince or petty king" or some crap like that."

Harry Potter's green eyes widened as he looked upon the strange American known as Regulus.

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 _ **The Snape Residence, North America...(1978)**_

 _ **Severus Snape slowly walked a very pregnant Elaine Hillar into what had been a very spacious would be sitting room. She had a warm smile on her face as they stood in the large empty room and attempted to come up with a plain for it's decor.**_

 _ **"I think I could get use to this place." said Elaine with the same warm smile.**_

 _ **She had only been sixteen and had spent a good deal of time flying about with her lover as she stared down at her brand new wedding and engagement rings.**_

 _ **"I think I could get use to being a wife too." she continued meeting his obsidian gaze.**_

 _ **"Can you?" he asked looking down at her from his impressive height.**_

 _ **They shared a few passionate kisses and Snape placed his rather large pale hand, not yet calloused by his years of potions work, across her slightly bulging belly. He had only been eighteen years old and he had managed to impregnate the poor girl on the first encounter.**_

 _ **"Can you feel your son moving about inside me?" asked Elaine enjoying the feeling of being so close to the wizard that had changed her life.**_

 _ **Snape smirked wondering if it had indeed been a son given that she had only been three months pregnant and quite new to motherhood to say the least.**_

 _ **"It it is indeed a boy what shall we name him?" he asked.**_

 _ **"I'd consider naming him for his father, as is tradition." said Elaine.**_

 _ **"Impossible given how many enemies I have in both worlds, the last thing I wish is for them to trace him back to me and use him for revenge." said Snape in a serious tone.**_

 _ **"Then you name him." said Elaine softly. "Give your son a name befitting a wizard like his father."**_

 _ **Snape sighed as he tried to get passed his young wife's apparent admiration for him.**_

 _ **"There is but one name befitting a wizard that he is to become." he said meaningfully. "It is the name of my former brother in darkness, but unlike me he recognized what was to become of our little social club and attempted to do something about it...it cost him, his life but he had succeeded in planting the seeds of rebellion."**_

 _ **"What was his name?" asked the future Potions Professor's wife.**_

 _ **"Regulus." replied Snape with a small smile. "A name befitting a little prince."**_

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 _ **The Kitchen, The Potter Residence, Wizarding World...**_

 _ **Harry Potter had been found himself in the wake of concerned stares from both Hermione and the American Regulus. He looked over the strange wizard once more and had been convinced that this Regulus, whom carried a strong resemblance to his former Potions Professor had been the very same Regulus from his strange visions.**_

 _ **"R-Regulus." said the green eyed wizard as if stunned by the revelation of his vision. "Regulus S. Snape...that's your name."**_

 _ **Regulus arched an eyebrow at geek boy feeling he might have had a few sips too many in terms of coffee.**_

 _ **"Oh Merlin!" shouted Hermione suddenly feeling it all click. "It's you...you're Professor Snape's long lost son."**_

 _ **Regulus had not known why these strange people were so interested in him or his father but he didn't feel the need to stick around.**_

 _ **The raven haired wizard simply walked out of the kitchen with all intense and purpose of walking out the front door just as easily.**_

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 _The Sitting Room, The Potter Residence, Wizarding World..._

Just when Regulus got to the front door, a small voice had gotten his attention. It seemed to cut through him like a hot knife through butter as he turned to find the source.

"Please don't go." it had said.

Regulus sighed hearing the words he had said to his father time and time again when the elder wizard made for the door following the end of their visit. Obsidian eyes met those of familiar emerald green as Albus Severus Potter made his presence known to the aloft American wizard.

"W-What do you want from me kid?" he asked not comfortable being put on the spot as he felt he was. "Isn't your old man in the kitchen?"

Albus Severus didn't say another word as he slowly made his way over toward the American wizard.

"Stay." he said it had been more of a command than a request.

Regulus sighed.

"I don't see what good it will do." he said annoyed. "I'm going to leave eventually."

The eleven year old boy simply took him by the hand and led him toward the sofa. Regulus sat down and Albus Severus sat beside him. The raven haired wizard thought it strange that he had felt more at peace in the presence of this little boy than he had in years.

"Let them help you." said Albus Severus in a seemingly emotionless tone.

Harry came out of the kitchen to find his youngest son sitting beside the son of his former Potions Professor.

"Albus Severus seems to have taken a liking to him." he said as Hermione joined him.

"Should we tell him that you named him after his father?"she asked.

"Not yet." replied Harry seemingly pleased that his son had gotten their new friend to stay. "You know I've never seen him respond to anyone before."

"Neither have I." replied Hermione observing the two sitting on the sofa staring as if the far wall had been a long and engaging television program. "But I still think he's a git."

"Of course." replied the green eyed wizard. "You may recall whom his father was."


	11. Chapter 10:Uncomfortable Truths

_**Chapter 10: Uncomfortable Truths**_

 _The Sitting Room, The Potter Residence, Wizarding World..._

 _ **R**_ egulus Snape had been silent as everyone in the sitting room stared at him as if he had been a ghost. The silence had been eerie given no one seemed to blink as they tried to come to terms with the revelation of the strange American's identity.

"I-I just can't believe I've never noticed it before." said Hermione stunned. "You look so much like him...it was probably the accent that obscured what should have been easy to pick up on."

"Tell me about it." said Harry looking a bit pleased as if he had found a long lost brother. "I had no idea he was Snape's son when we met either."

"Look...I'm gonna go." said finding the entire situation more awkward than he was used to.

He stood up, his impressive height even more a significant indication to his link to the late Potions Professor.

"You're welcome to stay." said the former boy who lived.

Regulus sighed not understanding why the geek boy had been so interested in him.

"Thanks, but I've got some...stuff to work out." He said slipping his hands into his pockets.

"I'll bet." Replied Hermione. "Merlin forbid the brothels continue to be used without you."

"Well, aren't you an insufferable know it all." He said unintentionally echoing the nickname given to her by his late father.

Hermione's eyes widened as did Harry's as images of Snape came flooding their minds.

"You sound just like him you know." said the stunned witch.

Regulus rolled his eyes. He had to listen to his mother go on and on about Severus Snape for years and given her recent death he didn't wish to go down that road any time soon.

The tall raven haired American wizard made up his mind to leave and put some distance between him and these Brits as possible.

He turned his attention to Albus Severus Potter. The boy had been intensively following the conversation between Regulus, his father, and aunt.

"Listen...kid I gotta bail." He said. "I've got some...issues to work out and to be honest I'm not really a social kind of guy."

"I'm sorry about your mother." said the green eyed little wizard meeting Regulus' obsidian gaze. "She was...nice."

Both Harry Potter and Hermione Granger-Weasley had noted the stunned look on the older raven haired wizard's face.

"H-How the hell did you know that?" he asked apparently shaken.

"Regulus what's he talking about?" asked Hermione inquisitive.

Harry had a saddened expression on his pale face as he looked at the only son of his former Potions Professor.

"I believe Regulus has recently lost his mother." said the green eyed older wizard.

Whatever emotion the tall raven haired American wizard felt had been quickly suppressed. The three onlookers watched as Regulus got to his feet and walked out of the front door.

The sound of thunder clapping in the distance signaled his immediate departure.

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Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World...

The moment Regulus Snape touched down, he headed for the nearest pub. He had no use for the bombarding waves of old memories that were on the verge of assaulting him.

He had not wanted to think of them. Nor feel the pain of their loss as fresh as the day he lost each of them.

The emotionally inept wizard settled for drowning his sorrows in the bottom of numerous mugs and bottles that night.

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 _Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World..._

Having gotten blackout drunk in the wake of being reminded of his dead parents, Regulus Snape awoke leaning against some abandoned shop's counter with shattered glass all around him and blood oozing from his hands.

He had not recalled what happened exactly, but he got the feeling his destructive side had managed to have it's way.

It was a well known fact that he had gotten it honest. His father had a temper even when exercising self control.

Regulus attempted to get to his feet only to find that he couldn't keep his balance. He was much too weak to even summon a minor healing spell to do away with the flesh wounds via the glass cutting his hands.

"Fuck." He muttered to himself. "What the fuck did I do?"

Resigned to waiting until his strength returned, he found himself looking at the small black boot covered feet of a very annoyed witch with a slender body wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and jeans.

"You are what your father often referred to as a dunderhead." Said the voice of Hermione.

Regulus couldn't help but smile in his near on lucid state of mind.

"Well hello gorgeous." He said in a charming tone.

"Unbelievable." muttered the amber eyed witch, "You know you could give Sirius Black a run for his money when it comes to being shameless."

The flicker of heat behind his obsidian gaze only proved to annoy her all the more.

"Getting blind drunk and breaking into a shop is definitely on the stupid things to do list." She continued. "And further more, it appears you need healing."

Regulus had not heard a word she said. All his focus had been on her body and watching her lips move. The drunken wizard had been convinced he wanted her more than anything.

"Are you even listening to me?" she asked annoyed.

"Yeah...I'm a dunderhead for getting drunk...I totally heard what your hot mouth said." He replied. "But you gotta know I'd do you in a heartbeat with a cherry on top...but shit you're married and I probably should not have said that out loud...fuck!"

Hermione had not known what to say to the vulgar and blatantly disgusting words she had just heard.

"I take it back you are worse than Ron and Sirius put together." She said. "You are quite horrible...and You certainly have a high opinion of yourself."

"I..I'm..sorry...it's difficult to think when I'm this drunk and my dick's this hard." said Regulus honestly.

"I don't see how a vulgar git like you could ever be Professor Snape's son." said Hermione.

"I guess not, since he spent more of his time with you Brits than with his own wife and son!" said Regulus angrily. "I'm starting to believe he cared more about precious Potter than his sick wife and as you put it...vulgar American yank son."

Hermione didn't understand where all the anger was coming from.

"Professor Snape risked his life to save both the muggles and Wizarding Worlds." She said amazed that Regulus could be so bitter when it came to his father. "He died a hero."

Fueled by his boiling rage, Regulus managed to get to his feet albeit clumsily.

"What the fuck do you know!?" he snarled angrily. "As far as I'm concerned he was just too chicken shit to actually fight...so he let that snake faced prick kill him."

Hermione found herself enraged by this ignorant American wizard, he knew nothing of the struggles she and her friends had to endure nor the pain and suffering inflicted upon his father night after night despite his masterful performance of hiding it all.

Professor Snape had risked everything to give this ungrateful git a peaceful life away from the fighting and bloodshed. Bloodshed that still kept her and her friends awake at night via night terrors.

The now angry witch drew back and slapped the wizard known as Regulus across his sallow pale face before she could catch herself.

To his credit, the drunken wizard weathered the blow valiantly. Hermione had been shocked by her own actions and took stepped back from him.

"I'm so sorry..." She said.

Regulus rolled his eyes.

"You think that's the first time I've been hit in defense of the great wizard Severus Snape?" he asked bitterly. "You can go home now I can survive just fine on my own."

Hermione knew that there was no changing his mind but she couldn't in good conscience leave him bleeding. She drew her want and whispered a quick healing charm.

"You are still welcome to stay at Harry's place." She said before leaving.

Regulus sat back down and rested his head against the empty shop's counter. The rage behind his obsidian eyes becoming all the more profound in the visible glow of an eerie flame.


	12. Chapter 11: Through The Eyes Of A Dead M

_**Chapter 11: Through The Eyes Of A Dead Man**_

 _ **{A/N:**_ **Here's Another Update...}**

 **My Thanks To All My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy S.S.**

 _ **The Shrieking Shack, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...(1998)**_

 _ **Severus Snape could see the ominous looking boating house in the distance. His obsidian eyes as dark as the semi-darkened sky that loomed above them. His left forearm had been burning and the injuries he sustained via his battle with the formidable Minerva McGonagall and the other Professors of Hogwarts had left him with a good deal of injuries. The subsequent punishment for failing to secure the prized school had been a series of nearly lethal unforgivable curses.**_

 _ **Now, he had found himself winded and bleeding from various gashes in the wake of his punishment from the dark lord's wand. He had not known why he had chosen this place. But his lungs burned and his body ached as he leaned against a portion of stone along his path.**_

 _ **Sweat had been trailing off his face and the stinging sensation of hexing continued to be a bother as he limped toward the eerie looking boating house. As the injured Potions Professor moved, he found strength in the only thing that had been of importance to him at this very moment.**_

 _ **The obsidian eyes of his only son, safely tucked away in North America with no knowledge of this accursed war or the despot Voldemort to the degree of the other unfortunate English born witches and wizards. He had sent his boy to Ilvermorny, the American equivalent to Hogwarts in terms of a good wizarding education.**_

 _ **A place untouched by the darkness of his own legacy or that of Salazar Slytherin. He had been rather amused that his son had been placed in what they called Horned Serpent. Despite the serpent similarities, it was more or less closer to Ravenclaw than Slytherin and for that Severus Snape was pleased.**_

 _ **He had regretted the way things ended with his family, but his misguided attempt to keep them from being hurt should the inevitable occur during this war had only caused more pain. The images of Elaine on the floor in tears and Regulus chasing after him as he took off into the night had been painful to relieve.**_

 _ **Still, Snape made his way to The Shrieking Shack.**_

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 _ **The Shrieking Shack, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...**_

 _ **The Dark Lord had been most displeased as he stood with his red eyes glowing in rage looking down at the bloodied form of his once most trusted death eater spy turned right hand. He took no pleasure in what he had to do to him, it was simply a matter of fulfilling his destiny.**_

 _ **"I took no pleasure in this act, S-S-Severus-s-s." he hissed as he took one final glance down at his faithful spy. "Nagini, come."**_

 _ **Severus Snape lied in a pool of blood, his neck and shoulders against a rather disproportionate wall as the distant waves of an angry ocean swelled behind him. The creaking of the floorboards had gotten his attention as his tear educed obsidian eyes focused on a pair of emerald green eyes that he had known all too well.**_

 _ **"P-Potter." he said struggling with the injuries to his neck and throat.**_

 _ **Blood soaked his ebony clad chest from the rather unsavory wound. The boy who lived had been at a loss for words, his trembling pale hands immediately going toward the wound in a bid to stop the bleeding. The terror in his stricken pale face had spoken volumes in place of words. It was at that moment that Severus Snape knew for certain, that he was going to die.**_

 _ **The boy himself never knew, but his eyes filled with tears in that instant for a man whom he had wished death upon for many a year, especially given his recent loss of the dour wizard's childhood nemesis, his own godfather-Sirius Black. Seeing the wizard that had always next to invincible in such a state had shocked him to no end.**_

 _ **As for Snape, his mind briefly revisited a small girl with fiery red hair and emerald green eyes whom he used to chase along the meadow back in the muggle world town of Cokeworth, England. This boy did indeed have her eyes. Her beautiful, hope filled green eyes.**_

 _ **Tears had begun to stream down the sallow pale cheeks of the dying Potions Professor. He had found it increasing difficult to draw breath as his heart began to slow. In desperation he gritted his teeth grabbing the young Harry James Potter by the shirt struggling for dear life.**_

 _ **"T-Take them." he said as the sorrow filled his once harsh and authoritative voice. "Take them, please."**_

 _ **Harry turned toward his friends, his green eyes falling on the insufferable know it all, Hermione Jean Granger whom had been in tears and at a loss for words due to what she was witnessing.**_

 _ **"Get me something, a flask..." he said anxiously. "Anything!"**_

 _ **Hermione had been the first to move getting what he needed and handing it to him as more tears streamed down her cheeks. She had not truly known what to feel as her school girl crush on Severus Snape had been destroyed with the knowledge that he had killed Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. To see Snape dying from the cruel treatment of Voldemort and his contemptuous serpent was an even more soul crushing experience.**_

 _ **Harry quickly took the small glass container collecting Snape's tears. It had been so long since The Potions Master had shed a tear that he had not held back or pretended to cling to dignity.**_

 _ **"T-Take them to the pensive." he said struggling to speak.**_

 _ **Harry ensure the container had been safely tucked away into his pocket. He had only taken his eyes off Snape for a moment when the Potions Master suddenly tightened his grip on his shirt.**_

 _ **" .ME!" he demanded as if desperate.**_

 _ **Harry's emerald green eyes met those of sorrowful obsidian. The Potions Master's grip seemed to relax a bit and he leaned back against the wall. All the tension slowly receding from his body.**_

 _ **"You have your mother's eyes." he said softly before seemingly succumbing to his injuries.**_

 _ **Little did the boy who lived know, as Potions Master Severus S. Snape lost consciousness...he saw the images of a sixteen year old girl with dark eyes and a warm smile. The images continued showing her pregnant and happily showing off her wedding and engagement rings.**_

 _ **A bit forward and the images came to the birth of a raven haired baby boy with obsidian eyes and pale skin. The baby boy began to grow rapidly from boy to the teenager whom Snape had left in raging darkness.**_

 _ **Regulus.**_

 _ **His little Prince, had been the last image he saw before he was no more.**_


	13. Chapter 12:The One Who Rides The Lighte

_**Chapter 12: The One Who Rides The Lightening**_

 _ **{"I don't care about anyone...You know that i'm better off...I don't care about anyone...You know that I'm better off..."}Better Off, Theory Of A Deadman**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy S.S.**_

 _Seedy Alley, Wizarding World..._

 _ **A**_ bitterly encompassing rage filled Regulus S. Snape as he made his way through the seedy alley where not even the death eaters of old dared to venture too much. There had been no shops or landmarks like the other wizarding world alleys. This place had been dark and largely abandoned in the wake of the great war with the muggles in the days of Newt Scamander and a young ambitious Albus Percival Wulfic Brian Dumbledore.

Pushing aside the war torn debris. Regulus stripped off his shirt tossing the now useless blood stained rag onto the ground as he continued toward the center. It had once been a thriving magical community much like Diagon Alley but much more vast.

The half dressed wizard aimed his wand into the sky, upon close inspection...it had been rather plain looking...black as night and smooth all the way around. He focused his magical energy for summoning and smirked when the loud screech reached his unconventionally large ears.

The screech had been earth shattering but he was use to it. He had more than enough practice at Ilvermony summoning his rather fantastic familiar.

"Icarus, come to me." he shouted.

It wasn't long before hurricane like winds blew and the clouds darkened in the sky above him. The sound of thunder rumbled across the newly darkened sky as a large bird with a sharp golden beak, hawk like talons, and a wind span like a giant vulture stretched out before him. It's feathers had been the size of ships and ebony in color ranging from his back to his stomach. There had been feathers of the purest white along his great wings and his tail which faded from that of bird to lightening.

A great cloud followed him as lightening flashed all around him and his eyes glowed a deep yellow before changing to their normal white stormy color and finally settling on the coolest blue in a mirror image of the ocean on a sunny day.

"Time to fly buddy." said Regulus leaping into the air and landing onto the great beast of a bird's back.

Icarus screeched and took flight bringing a storm where ever he went. He was after all a very rare creature within the wizarding and muggle worlds alike, a black Leviathan Thunderbird. The connection that Regulus shared with this strange mythical creature had made it possible for the bird to feel his moods and presented itself in accordance with his moods.

The stormy emotions warring inside the raven haired wizard had been more than enough of an indication by the rumbling clouds and flickers of lightening accompanying the great mystical bird as it continued to beat it's great wings.

Regulus stood up on his feet enjoying the elevation as well as the rush of flight with his familiar. He had been quite reckless in his antics when it came to being with Icarus but he had not carried. The great bird always ensured he would be fine or walk away with little more than a mend-able injury.

"WOOOOOOOOOO!" shouted Regulus enjoying the rapid moving wind around him. The lightening flashing behind him and the speed in which they were flying had been all too enjoyable.

Icarus seemed to not the pain in his master and let out a shrill call.

"I'm alright Icarus." said Regulus. "I just needed this badly."

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 _ **Red Wood Forest , North America, Wizarding World...(1993)**_

 _ **Thirteen Year Old Regulus Snape had been restless as he wondered alone through the trees of The legendary Red Wood Forest. He had been apparated there by accident, his magical powers seeming to grow out of nowhere despite his young age. He wondered if it had to do with his blood status but no one seemed to know much of anything about familiar heritage in this place.**_

 _ **The focus had been on skill and merit so to speak. The socially awkward preteen wizard had not been well received given his strange status as having been abandoned by his father and where they had originally come from. Much like his father, he had not been well liked at school finding it harder to fit in with the much more brash American youth than his father had with the English wizarding world propriety of his.**_

 _ **Finding that he had been lost, Regulus reached a strange waterfall tucked in the center of a seemingly unassuming place. Due to his awkward footing, as his feet grew much larger than the rest of him at the time, the boy fell down a small hill and hit his head against a tree knocking him unconscious for a bit.**_

 _ **He had not known that he had inadvertently knocked down a nest and with it a small egg. It was the size of the eggs he often saw at the breakfast table but a light blue color with black strange and pulsing veins along the shell. The egg rolled into his shirt pocket and there it stayed nestled into the warmth of his heavily robed torso.**_

 _ **The terrified thirteen year old wizard scrambled to his feet after awakening to find that he had been in the middle of the wilderness and it had gotten dark. Fearing he had given his mother cause to worry and that he would get into trouble with the school,the panicked wizard found himself mysteriously apparating back to the campus. He landed on the grounds and scrambled toward the dorms.**_

 _ **He had not known if any one saw him but he was more than pleased to be alone once more in a familiar place. As he checked himself to ensure that he had no injuries and that his wand had been intact, he noted something hard and oval shaped in his pocket.**_

 _ **Quickly he took it out and examined it.**_

 _ **He had come face to face with the strangest egg he had ever seen and the mystery it represented intrigued him.**_

 _ **For the next several months, Regulus went about studying how to care for eggs and even built it a habitat. He found several books on magical creatures and how to find them, one such book was written by the infamous Newt Scamander.**_

 _ **Needless to say, the boy had been stunned to find he had been in possession of a very rare Leviathan Thunderbird egg. The book taught him about bonding with the animal, lest one hatch and kill the first thing it sees. Or someone unsavory get a hold of the creature and use it's mystical abilities for evil.**_

 _ **Fearing this more than anything given the amount of time and effort he had put into raising it, Regulus fed a bit of his magic to the creature. Before he knew it, the egg hatched and he came face to face with a tiny wet bird with a small chirp and matted, little grown out feathers.**_

 _ **His flesh had been white unlike most birds who were born pink in color. His eyes were large and intently focused on him as it took the first steps out of the egg shell. He opened his rather sharp looking beak and chirped as if in anger.**_

 _ **Fumbling, Regulus did his best to focus on the magical bonding process still using his magic to subdue the strange wild creature.**_

 _ **"I-I am R-Regulus." he said softly before regaining his confidence as the book warned of the bird possibly turning on him due to weakness. "I am Regulus, your new master and you are...Icarus."**_

 _ **The now black eyes of the baby Leviathan Thunderbird became white and it suddenly stepped toward a rather nervous young Regulus. The preteen wizard steeled himself, thinking briefly of what his father would do in this given situation.**_

 _ **"I am your new master, Icarus." said Regulus composing himself as his father would have.**_

 _ **The baby Thunderbird chirped and finally hopped into his lap before resting it's tiny head beneath it's small and flimsy looking wings. The bird didn't look it in it's current state, but it was destined to be a very large and powerful creature that would have the vast sky as it's domain.**_

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 _Open Sky, England, Wizarding World..._

Regulus leapt into the air riding a gust of wind provided by Icarus' powerful flight. He dived through the air enjoying his hair being blown back by the wind and the cool breeze against his pale skin.

The reckless wizard laughed as Icarus let out a shrill call much like he had when he was a baby.

"Will you relax?...I'm only just getting started." said Regulus amused.

He did a somersault while falling from mid-air and a few other various flips of his body. The rush that filled him had been well worth it as he started to free fall once more, getting dangerously close to the ground.

Icarus gave another shrill cry and the raven haired wizard ignored him. The great Thunderbird dived catching his master before the reckless wizard fell to his death in the wake of his behavior.

The sight of his great right wing had gotten the attention of a few muggles working their family farm. It was all they could see aside from the lightening due to the thick clouds. Sudden rain forced them into their houses and Icarus swooped Regulus back into the sky.

"I knew you'd catch me." he said amused.

Icarus narrowed his bird eyes and let out a loud squawk.

"Whatever you say Icarus." replied Regulus leaning back against the giant bird's spine as if he had been simply lounging in a pool while the Leviathan Thunderbird flew him about at great speeds.

He had been plenty warm during the flight via the massive boat sized feathers all around him.

"Wake me when we get there." said Regulus with a smirk before falling into his nap.

His apparent antics had worn even him out for the time being.

The Leviathan Thunderbird let out another shrill call before focusing on his current flight plan.

His great wings beat amid the clouds as he made the journey toward the small forgotten town of Cokeworth, England.


	14. Chapter 13:The Chosen Few

_**Chapter 13: The Chosen Few**_

 _ **{"Stop talking about a resolution...With the weight of a loaded gun...Keep standing in the noise pollution...And prepare for the war to come...Stay calm is critical...Standing in the firing line alone...With only hell to pay..."}The Killing Kind, Rev. Theory**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy S.S.**_

 _Ministry Of Magical Offices, Wizarding World..._

 **T** here was more panic filling the hearts and minds of the wizarding world as the same flaming serpent that destroyed The Daily Prophet's main headquarters had returned this time setting it's sights on the Ministry Of Magical Offices. Broken glass had flown every which way as the strange masked and black robed men entered the building.

The leader had appeared to be greatly agitated as he gripped the throat of the current Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt. It had been no easy feat to take on the former Auror hand picked and trained by the legendary Mad-Eye Moody himself.

The large dark skinned wizard had put up quite a valiant fight but it was of to no avail. He had not been as young as he use to be and years of peace only saw his belly grow more round and his reflexes dull. He had been more than a match for the common rabble but nothing in comparison to this strange dark wizard.

The masked leader held Kingsley up by his throat with only one hand making it a show for all to see following them bursting through the glass window of the Minster of Magic's office.

"Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt." said the masked leader with darkness in his tone. "Such a weak leader to represent such a weak foundation of wizarding authority."

The Minster of Magic struggled against the ever tightening grip of his captor.

"W-What do you want?" he struggled to ask.

The masked leader rolled his dark menacing eyes.

"Have you not been listening?" he asked impatiently tightening his grip on the Minister of Magic's throat. "I want destruction, I want justice, and most of all I want Harry Potter bowing at my feet."

Minister Shacklebolt again continued to struggle despite the enormous amount of pain he had been feeling and the loss of his feeling in parts of his body.

"Amusing." chuckled the masked leader darkly. "But in vain."

He sighed and threw the Minister of Magic to the floor.

"What business do you have with Harry Potter?" asked Kingsley rubbing his sore throat.

"I am going to open his eyes to the beginning of a new era." replied the masked leader. "Then I am going to slowly break every bone in his body while he begs for death."

"You'll never get away with this..." began Kingsley only to find himself flung into a nearby wall with enough force to knock him out cold and break most of his ribs.

"Let this be a lesson to you." said the masked leader in a dangerous tone. "I WILL HAVE MY VENGEANCE NO MATTER THE COST!"

The stunned on lookers knew not what to do as their only means of protection had been silenced.

The enraged Masked leader began making a mess of The Ministry Of Magical offices. He had been so into letting his temper run wild that he had not noticed that Auror Hermione Jean Granger-Weasley had entered the building wand at the ready.

She launched him back into a nearby wall while she tended to Minister Kingsley. Upon seeing their leader struck, the obedient other black robed men in ivory masks joined in the battle each one attempting to teach the meddling Auror her place.

They had not counted on Hermione being as adept at charms and hexes as she had been easily over taking quite a few and leaving them unconscious for an arrest. She had not time to celebrate her small triumph as The masked leader quickly revealed that he had gotten back to his feet and the combat between them resumed.

Their battled ranging from quick hand to hand combat to long distance spell work before they both spilled into Kingsley's private office.

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 _Kingsley Shackbolt's Office, Ministry Of Magical Offices, Wizarding World..._

Hermione launched a well timed hex in the direction of the masked leader. He blocked it with what she recognized easily as Wand-less magic while summoning flames from both his black gloved hands and launching them at her.

She had managed to dodge one while the other hit her in the arm burning it indefinitely. She screamed out in agony drawing away from another barrage of fireballs. They were much to fast for her to block with only one good arm and her focus split a sit was.

Hermione managed to conjure a water charm that kept the fire balls at bay but they did little in terms of damage to the masked leader whom brushed them aside and advanced upon her. He wrapped his black gloved fingers around her throat much as he had Kingsley, the rage behind his dark eyes almost palpable.

The amber eyed witch struggled to get free only to find herself more than helpless due to her injure and that the masked leader had broken her wrist on her wand hand. He slammed her against the wall hurting her back before firmly pressing his tense body into hers.

She gasped when he leaned close to her ear and whispered words she had heard so many times before.

"Foolish girl." he said in a dangerous tone. "Did you really think you stood a chance against me?"

Hermione's eyes widened as visions of Severus Snape the death eater filled her mind.

The masked leader had been quite amused by her mind's apparent classification of him. He let out a feral growl and tossed her rather effortlessly against the far wall before making his exit.

"Congratulations, you are one of the chosen few that I cared to leave alive due to pressing matters elsewhere." he said with a hint of amusement. "Now run along and tell precious Potter all about our little encounter, I am sure he'll be all ears as far as you are concerned...Miss Granger."

Again the way he spoke to her reminded her so much of her Potions Professor. She had not seen him as a death eater as Harry had but she was told he was capable of a kind of darkness that made even Voldemort pale in comparison.

With that, The masked leader took off with his members leaving a blazing double serpent sigil in the sky above the Ministry Of Magic offices along with shattered glass and flames. Hermione Granger slipped into unconsciousness due to her injuries. One thing had been clear about the strange organization, they were well trained, highly adaptive, and their leader hated Harry Potter and everything of note in the wizarding world.


	15. Chapter 14:Awkward Acquaintances

_**Chapter 14: Awkward Acquaintances**_

 _ **{"...Yeah... my head keeps spinnin'...You got me trippin'...There's something about the way you move...Yeah, every little single thing you do is like...One part angel and one part danger...But, oh, the kind of crazy I like...You got me losing my mind...I'm losing my mind!"}Losing My Mind, Daughtry**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy S.S.**_

 _Bathroom, Spinner's End, Cokeworth England, Muggle World..._

 **E** yes of obsidian stared at the sallow pale faced wizard as his lengthy raven hair soaked from sweat and wayward water. His expression had been blank all his rage seeping from his cold stare into his shattered reflection in the mirror no doubt broken by his raging father after staring at himself in the same manner. Severus Snape had only managed to shatter the glass effectively cutting himself in the center of his knuckles in the process.

His son, Regulus had simply stared at the figure so closely resembling his late father it enraged him. He had spent the entire night glaring at his reflection as if hoping to see some kind of sign from his father, it was a foolish thing to hope for, given Severus Snape had been dead for nineteen years and he had not wanted much to do with his son when he had been alive.

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 _The Sitting Room, Spinner's End, Muggle World..._

Regulus glared one last time at his reflection before making his way out to the sitting room. He crashed into his father's armchair and kicked his feet up at the fireplace. It was somewhat calming to watch as the flames danced about incinerating the ash turned logs. The raven haired wizard had been surprised to see a special issue of The Daily Prophet published for the morning in junction with The Quibbler.

Despite his lack of interest in it, the words from the cover seemed to jump out at him.

WIZARDING WORLD HEROINE AND AUROR HERMIONE JEAN GRANGER-WEASLEY, MOTHER OF TWO WAS INJURED ALONG WITH MINISTER OF MAGIC KINGSLEY SHACKLEBOLT FOLLOWING ATTACK FROM STRANGE SERPENT SIGIL MONKS.

Regulus skipped the part about the initial attack on Kingsley Shacklebolt and read what he could about Hermione Granger-Weasley. The paper went into detail about her impressive academic record as well as her service record within the ranks of the Aurors.

It said she had been married to a wizarding hero and best friend of Harry James Potter, Ronald Bilius Weasley. He nearly spit out his butter beer when he noted that the formidable and brilliant witch's husband had been that dim wit freckle faced fool Ron from the bar a few days ago.

"Fucking loser." said the younger Snape annoyed. "It figures, he gets a hot chick with brains and keeps her figure after two kids and he cheats on her...talk about a fucking dude-bro."

Regulus turned his attention back to the article on Hermione stating she sustained minor injuries and will be resting comfortably at St. Mungo's Hospital for a few days.

"Gee I sure am glad their not trying to finish the job." he muttered staring at Hermione in the photograph.

She had still been a good looking witch despite having given birth to two children. The wizard made up his rather perverted mind that he'd still do her.

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 _St. Mungo's Hospital, Muggle World..._

Regulus had not been back to this place since his mother's passing. The eerily quiet halls and pristine white floors and walls did little to ease his already tense mind. He recalled so vividly the times he had come down the halls, hearing the constant clicking of his shoes against the heavily polished floor and seeing the lights reflected in the finish.

It had been no different now that he had been sober and well on his way to visit the ailing witch Hermione Granger. He had not given her "freckle faced fucktard" husband a second thought after figuring out just whom he had been.

The raven haired wizard had managed to get a clean out fit together and brushed his hair a bit, of course he wasn't sure how much good it would do before making the journey over. He picked up a few flowers not knowing too much about what kind to get a girl like her or any girl. It was difficult not to go all Casanova and pick out roses but given her marital status he needed something neutral.

Thinking quickly he grabbed a few white chrysanthemums hoping for the best.

At the moment, he had been holding the whole bouquet of them firmly unsure of what to say to the injured witch. He had known her to be pretty touch and had not wanted to offend her at least not this early.

Steeling himself, Regulus knocked then entered the hospital room. It had been quite simple to get the room number without going through the motions of being next to kin, he simply waved his hand and stoke the information from the clerks mind before continuing on his journey unimpeded.

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 _Room 204, St. Mungo's Hospital, Muggle World..._

Hermione had been anxiously awaiting the moment she would be released from the hospital. The amber eyed witch was fuming due to her lack of planning when she rushed into the fray without backup in a bid to save Kingsley's life. The masked leader of that new Serpent Terror Organization had been a formidable foe.

He had been much quicker than she and moved with a casual grace that was only matched by one other that she had known before. The loss had been a stinging blow to her sense of Gryffindor pride as well.

It had been very rare that Hermione ran across someone whom could do anything better than she could, the last of which had all been killed during the second wizarding war. She has expected an all talk tyrant much like Voldemort had been in his day. She grew sick and tired of the despot opening his mouth to make threats as opposed to actually doing anything. It was nerve-wrecking to see the entire wizarding world cower over a few threats.

Of course she had not been alive long when the despot had been a true wizard of action felling every form of resistance with little to no effort and violent and not to mention demonstrative attacks.

She had been so focused on her loathing that she had missed the knock at the door. When she finally did look up she found herself staring into the concerned obsidian eyes of Regulus Snape dressed rather nicely for a neanderthal American yank and carrying flowers, white chrysanthemums in particular.

"R-Regulus." she said truly shocked to see him. "What are you doing here?"

Regulus stepped toward her, the awkward looking wizard had not known if he had a right to hug her or shake her hand given that they had not exactly been friends but mere acquaintances from a series of embarrassing encounters.

"I-I don't exactly know the protocol for doctors visits with people you barely know but I got you some flowers...you are a girl...uh woman and...well...these are...flowers." he said fumbling over his words.

Hermione seemed to take pity on him given their last encounter had been just as awkward as the first two only it ended with her slapping him.

"I...Thank you." she said politely.

He handed the bouquet to her and stepped back folding his arms across his chest. She smelled them finding they had been quite a lovely addition to her little collection. She had yellow roses from Ron, sunflowers from Harry and a daisy or two from the children and now she added Regulus' white chrysanthemums into the vase.

"L-Look...I'm uh...sorry about what happened to you." he said still finding speaking on a personal level awkward. "You ah...don't seem all that banged up...I mean injured...it's...I mean injured...you don't seem to be hurt so badly."

Hermione seemed to be amused at his attempt to be a decent human being.

"I suppose I understood your meaning the first time, but thank you for your concern." she replied. "It is of course strange but appreciated none the less."

"Okay...now...uh...this is not going the way envisioned it in my head." he replied. "For one your still fucking hot so that's a plus but I read in the paper today that you've got kids...what are they like fucking adopted or something?...cause there is no way you can have two kids and still be that fucking hot."

Hermione smiled finding his naturally repulsive vulgar comments were less awkward than him trying to be civil. She supposed that made him honest to a fault all things considered.

"No Regulus, my children are not adopted." she said sweetly. "I had them the old fashioned way believe it or not."

"But you look fucking hot?!" said Regulus with his mouth agape. "What the fuck kind of fucktard cheats on a hot fucking chick like you and who the fuck would stop at two kids with you for a wife...I'd never let you leave the bed if we were married."

Hermione couldn't help but giggle at his brutally honest yet vulgar compliment.

"From what I saw, you'd probably hurt yourself trying to keep me in bed all day." she said with a hint of heat behind her amber eyes.

"That's just great, she's a fucking tease too." said Regulus more so to himself than anyone.

Again Hermione laughed.

"Do all Americans speak with such a vulgar vocabulary?" she asked inquisitive.

"Not all of them." replied Regulus in a serious tone. "I guess I've just got bad genes."

"You do not." replied Hermione. "I bet your mother was brilliant and you already know how I felt about your father."

"Yeah." replied the younger Snape. "You had the hots for the old man...you got so pissed off that you slapped me."

"You had it coming." said Hermione in her defense.

"Maybe." replied Regulus with a hint of heat behind his obsidian eyes. "Anyway Hermione, I just wanted to see how you were doing given what happened...I gotta take off but please be careful who you piss off next time."

"I could say the same to you." she replied with a smile.

Regulus smirked reminiscent of his Potions Master father.

"I'll keep that in mind." he said before taking his leave.

Hermione turned her attention back to her collection of flowers. Being the well read and knowledgeable witch that she was, she had known all too well the significance of white chrysanthemums. The very flower Regulus had chosen to bring her.

"The symbol of loyalty and devoted love." she said recalling the book she read's definition of white chrysanthemums.

She had been puzzled as to why Regulus had chosen to bring those flowers to her out of a whole selection. They had not known each other that well and it was highly unlikely that he had any real feelings for someone he had barely met. She dismissed it as him simply picking a flower he believed a girl or woman might be delighted by.

It was a sweet gesture on his part no matter the reason.


	16. Chapter 15:What's In A Name?

_**Chapter 15: What's In A Name?**_

 _Ministry of Magic Offices, Wizarding World..._

 **H** arry James Potter had been interrogating the few strange black robed wizards left over from previous had been the wizard that attacked Ginny and Albus Severus before they ran into Regulus it had not been for Snape's son Harry could not have imagined what would have become of them given how this mysterious group of masked wizards' capacity for destruction escalated the previous night.

The harsh brown eyes of the now unmasked wizard glared murderously at the former recognized boy who lived.

"Tell me why you are going after my friends and family!?" demanded Harry irate.

The assailant simply smirked.

"You actually believe that you have a right to demand anything from me boy?" he asked in a gruff tone.

Stripped of his thick black robes that made up the bulk of his size, the assailant wasn't so intimidating...Just old and clearly embittered about something.

Harry could see the strange letters carved into his left forearm.

"Did...Did you harm yourself?" he asked stunned by the degree of fanaticism this wizard had been inflicted by. "S.B.D...What does that mean?"

The assailant smirked.

"So you wish to know of the brotherhood." He said pleased. "About time...we wondered when you would finally take us seriously...too bad for the minister of Magic and that Granger chit eh Potter?"

"You are not to say anything about my friends!" said Harry showing a ferocity not seen since the days of Voldemort.

The assailant continued to smirk evidently amused by this.

"So be it." He said. "Arcturus will see to their end in due time."

Harry blinked for a moment.

"Arcturus?" he asked stunned. "Is he your leader?"

The assailant chuckled.

"Still slow on the up-take?" he said"And you are the supposed hero of the wizarding world...soon all will be made clear to you."

Harry didn't know what this meant but he wasn't about to play "riddle games" when fanatics were attaching people he cared about. It was only a matter of time before they killed someone.

The green eyed wizard drew his wand and sent the assailant flying into a nearby wall and bound him with vicious magic.

"You are you people and why are you coming after me and my family!?" he asked in an aggressive growl.

The assailant was silent as he struggled to get free of the binds.

"Tell me the names of those other wizards!" The green eyed wizard demanded.

"W-we are the S.B.D." He said painstakingly. "That's all you'll get from me."

As much as Harry wished he could get more information it was indeed all he could get out of this assailant as the gruff wizard slipped into unconsciousness.

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 _Room 201, St. Mungo's Hospital, Muggle World..._

Rage filled the heavily tested auror as he tried to piece together why all of this had been happening. He had gone to see Hermione, hoping she could shed some light into this strange situation.

The amber eyed witch had been puzzled trying to piece together the details of this case as well.

"What else did he say to you?" She asked feeling as if there was some detail missing.

"That was it...Mione." said Harry stuck in a mental rut. "Just that the leader's name was Arcturus and they were all called S.B.D."

"S.B.D?" asked Hermione just as confused as he had been. "Well that doesn't tell us much."

"I know." agreed Harry. "But we have to keep trying...What if they kill someone next time?"

Hermione thought for a moment.

"Well, we know their leader is called Arcturus and they often unleash a double headed serpent into the sky when they prepare to attack." said the amber eyed witch seemingly in deep concentration. "What are they called again?"

"S.B.D." replied Harry.

"S most likely stands for...Serpent given the snake sigil." said Hermione doing some figuring.

Harry's green eyes widened.

"I think you may be onto something...Mione." He said. "B...B stands for Brotherhood or something like that...at least that's what that freak told me before he lost consciousness."

"Not brotherhood...you're thinking Voldemort's era...this is something new...something modern...yet simple." said the brilliant witch as she continued to do her figuring.

"Brothers." said Harry the word sounded simple enough.

"What do they do?" asked Hermione still figuring."As a whole I mean...what's their groups sole mission?"

The green eyed auror sighed.

"I don't know...come after me I guess?" he asked.

"It's more than that." said Hermione. "It's like they need to make a statement judging by the damage they did..."

"That's it!" shouted Harry in understanding.

"S.B.D...Serpent Brothers Of Destruction." said Hermione feeling it click as well.

"Serpent Brothers Of Destruction." said Harry suddenly feeling himself fall away as Hermione and the hospital got further away.

 _ **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**_

 _ **Unknown Location, Unknown World...**_

 _ **A Seventeen year old Severus Snape stood at the cliff side watching the angry sea crash against the rocks below.**_

 _ **The teenage wizard's lengthy raven hair and ebony clad attire blowing in the wake of the blowing winds. It had been cold out but he paid it no mind.**_

 _ **He had pressing business to attend to.**_

 _ **Moments later, a twenty-eight year old handsome wizard with piercing gray eyes and a winning smile stepped from a cloud of thick black smoke.**_

 _ **"Well, it looks like you've been here a while, little brother." said the wizard known as Lucius Abraxas Malfoy.**_

 _ **Snape smirked in amusement.**_

 _ **"Obviously." He said in a dry tone. "So...has he arrived yet or did you barely arrive as well?"**_

 _ **"Calm down old man." replied Snape with a smirk. "I'm sure Reg will be along in a bit."**_

 _ **"I got your old, sodding brat." said Lucius with narrowed gray eyes.**_

 _ **Severus and Lucius had been delighted to see the arrival of none other than Regulus Black as he dusted off his elegant suit and moved toward his fellow death eaters.**_

 _ **"Severus, Lucius...good to see you mates." he said evidently pleased despite the serious expression that had been on his face when he initially arrived.**_

 _ **"Don't you good to see you me, what's the meaning of this so called gathering?" asked Lucius bitterly.**_

 _ **"Lay off the boy Lucius." said Severus walking over to his younger friend and putting his arm around the younger wizard's neck. "Go on tell us, little brother what's so urgent that we had to meet in private?"**_

 _ **Regulus Black sighed.**_

 _ **"I-I don't know how to say this to you gents, except to say it." he began. "The dark lord is not at all the leader we thought he'd be...the truth is, Tom is fast becoming something of a tyrant...he doesn't give a damn about us or the cause...he's just in it for self-gratification and power."**_

 _ **"Well I know that." said Lucius bitterly. "I've known since the beginning actually."**_

 _ **Severus narrowed his eyes at Lucius.**_

 _ **"And this is the first time I am hearing about this because?" he asked.**_

 _ **"I did not know when would be the right time to enlighten the two of you." said the gray eyed wizard. "The dark lord...is as big a problem as Regulus believes and more."**_

 _ **"Lucius?" said Severus confused by this new information.**_

 _ **The handsome blond wizard sighed and met the eyes of his fellow death eaters.**_

 _ **"I chose you." he began. "Both of you, so that I may one day enlist your help against the despot threatening this world...he is as twisted as he is merciless and will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants."**_

 _ **"Total Annihilation of both worlds." said Regulus with a saddened expression.**_

 _ **"Do the both of you hear yourselves?" asked Severus not wishing to believe that Tom would become a monster.**_

 _ **"It's true Severus." said Regulus attempting to get through to his friend. "The dark lord doesn't care about you or any of us."**_

 _ **"He will destroy you Severus." said Lucius sadly. "And anything else in his path."**_

 _ **The raven haired wizard didn't know what to think as both his dearest friends told him the truth that he know doubt come to find on his own.**_

 _ **"I do not believe Tom is capable of becoming a monster." said Severus in denial of the situation.**_

 _ **"Sev...believe me when I tell you that you are fortunate not to see the monster for what he is." said Regulus in a deathly serious tone. "But I have and it appears that Lucius has as well."**_

 _ **Severus sighed.**_

 _ **"While I do not believe any of this about Tom, we made a pact to look after each other while in his service." he said. "If you say he is a threat...then it must be so."**_

 _ **Regulus smiled and hugged Severus affectionately.**_

 _ **"You are making the right decision brother." he said.**_

 _ **"And what decision is that?" asked Lucius with an exhausted expression.**_

 _ **"To fight this despot before he has a chance to truly become dangerous." said Regulus determined.**_

 _ **"And if we fail?" asked Lucius.**_

 _ **"We won't." replied Regulus. "But I propose we make a vow to finish this if any of us should fall to the despot while the others remain."**_

 _ **Severus didn't seem all that interested in what was shared between the three of them as far as turning his back on Tom but Regulus needed him and the young death eater had been like a brother to him despite being the kin of Sirius Black.**_

 _ **"Alright." said Lucius in agreement.**_

 _ **"As you wish." said Severus in support of Regulus.**_

 _ **The younger death eater smiled.**_

 _ **"Thank you my brothers." he said pleased as he drew his wand.**_

 _ **Lucius and Severus held out their hands as Regulus began the binding charm.**_

 _ **"I, Regulus Arcturus Black vow to end the reign of the despot Tom Riddle or die trying." he said in a serious tone. ""And should my brothers fail, I will continue my mission in their place. "**_

 _ **"I, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy vow to end the reign of the despot Tom Riddle or die trying." said the gray eyed wizard. "And should my brothers fail, I will continue my mission in their place. "**_

 _ **Severus looked into the eyes of his brothers knowing all too well that he would indeed die for them no matter what he would have to endure given they had been the only family he had ever known. Despite his attachment to Tom Riddle, his devotion to them won out.**_

 _ **"I, Severus Sebastian Snape vow to end the reign of the despot Tom Riddle or die trying." he said meeting the gaze of his mutual brothers. "And should my brothers fail, I will continue my mission in their place."**_

 _ **"On this day, The serpent brothers of destruction rise against Tom Riddle, the despot whom intends to ruin this world." said Regulus.**_

 _ **"Serpent Brothers Of Destruction. said Lucius.**_

 _ **"Serpent Brothers Of Destruction." repeated Severus.**_

 _ **The younger wizard completed the vow as all three of them were branded with Regulus Black's magical symbol to remind them of their promise and the vow they made to each other.**_

 _ **A tattoo of a double headed serpent with the letters S.B.D. initialed below it.**_

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 _St. Mungo's Hospital, Muggle World..._

Harry Potter blinked as the vision ended. Hermione had been trying to get through to him for near on ten minutes.

"Harry are you alright?" she asked concerned.

The green eyed wizard blinked for a moment trying to make sense of the dream.

"Lucius Malfoy." he said.

"What?" asked Hermione confused as to what Malfoy Senior had to do with anything.

"Serpent Brother's of Destruction, it was a group of three then, death eaters...Regulus Black, Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy." explained Harry. "Regulus Black was R.A.B., the wizard killed trying to destroy Voldemort's locket, Snape was killed during the final battle at Hogwarts...so the only one left is..."

"Lucius Malfoy." said Hermione getting it. "Harry..."

"This has to mean that Malfoy is behind all of this and he is going to pay for what he did to my family and Kingsley." said Harry getting to his feet.

"But that doesn't make any sense." said the amber eyed witch. "Lucius Malfoy hasn't left Malfoy Manor in years."

"This is his doing." said Harry convinced. "He's the only one left of the three of them who would have an agenda concerning Snape and the wizarding world."

Before Hermione could stop him, Harry had been out the door in search of his former nemesis Lucius Abraxas Malfoy.


	17. Chapter 16:Prime Suspect

_**Chapter 16: Prime Suspect**_

 _ **{"Open up the book you beat me with again...Read it off one sentence at a time...I'm tired of all the lines, convictions, and your lies...What right do you have to point at me?...Still crowding my space are the things that you still hold against me..."}Convictions, Absent Element/ Daughtry**_

 _Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World..._

Lucius Abraxas Malfoy sat starting out a dust covered window in what had once been his private study. The now 63 year old wizard hardy left his home, however much of it was left following the second wizarding war's end.

His wife had been just as disillusioned and reclusive as he had been, following the deaths of her elder sister and oldest friend.

Draco had managed to pull his weight in the Wizarding World, grateful in all aspects for being able to marry and have a child of his own.

Sadly, the junior Malfoy's wife had succumbed to a wayward illness and passed away before their son's second birthday.

Draco took it all in stride looking at all he had survived during the dark lord's rise and fall for a second time.

Word had it, Scorpius Malfoy was set for his first year at Hogwarts, now that he was eleven years old.

Deep down, Lucius could not have been more proud of him. Sadly, the Senior Malfoy had not been the proud and confident wizard he once was.

Voldemort had done his best to break him. It only succeeded in small doses. The night of the final battles end, Lucius suffered a heart attack begrieved by the loss of his "little brother."

While he recovered physically from the attack, he had not recovered from the sorrow of the substantial loss and had been given to drink ever since.

Lucius Malfoy threw an empty firewhiskey bottle at the wall, causing it to shatter. The dull glow of his fireplace did little to hide the deep sorrow etched across his ghastly pale face.

Narcissa and Draco did their best to care for him despite his deeply rooted sorrow.

Looking up Lucius Malfoy had been a sorrowful sight indeed, his once brilliant and luxurious blond locks that hung down to his shoulders, like the mane of a powerful lion, had become lank and uneven.

His piercing gray eyes that conveyed mystery and smoldered with charm, now held only sadness and misery.

The brisk elegant walk which he had been known for with all the gracefulness of a gazelle had been reduced to a slow tortuous limp, not so unlike that of a viciously humbled peasant.

His supple milk colored flesh harsh and bruised by time and neglect gave him the appearance of a living ghost in the shell of the handsome wizard the world once knew and secretly desired from afar.

Bitter and broken seemingly beyond repair, the last remaining member of The Serpent Brothers Of Destruction awaited his own grim fate.

They had been gone for years, both Severus, whom had lost his life protecting Lucius and his family as well as Harry Potter and his friends, Regulus Arcturus Black baby brother to the obnoxious Gryffindor prat Sirius Black, bound in vow and blood to the the dark lord's will.

It wasn't until many years after the second wizarding war, that Lucius would know what became of his youngest and most ambitious protege.

With the loss of Regulus, Lucius became more determined to look after young Severus, but following the death of The Potters, Severus made it his mission to protect him.

"Damn you Severus!" shouted an angry Lucius struggling to get to his feet against the weight of the memories that plagued him. "Damn you both for leaving me here...alone while you both play martyr."

The images of the two younger wizards getting on like long lost brothers filled his drink clouded mind.

He had loved them, Severus Sebastian Snape, the boy whom he retrieved from the lake at Hogwarts when they attended together...Regulus Arcturus Black the charming baby brother of arrogant Gryffindor Sirius Black.

The two of them were the only family Lucius had prior to his marriage and following the death of his father, Abraxas Malfoy.

He had cared for them both as an elder brother would his siblings keeping them safe from harm and teaching them the ways of the world wizarding and muggle alike in terms of manhood.

Weighty tears streamed down the bitter gray eyed blond wizard's cheeks.

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 _ **The Sitting Room, Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World (1977)...**_

 _ **Severus Snape had been sitting in his usual place, the armchair formerly belonging to Pureblood wizard Abraxas Malfoy with a book in his hands and his obsidian eyes intently focused on the pages. This was probably the thousandth time he had gone through the old potions book that had previously done nothing more than collect dust on the old shelves of Malfoy Manor's library, but he didn't seem to care much about the number of times he had already read it.**_

 _ **He had not been alone, as a charming looking wizard with medium length dark brown hair and equally dark brown eyes seemed to lounge rather comfortably on the white elegantly crafted sofa complete with expensive gold trimmings. He had been wearing a suit with the emblem of the Slytherin house crest on the front of it.**_

 _ **He seemed restless as he glared at the black inked mark upon his left forearm.**_

 _ **"So...So that's it then." he said staring at the mark intently. "I am one of the dark lord's chosen?"**_

 _ **"You are one of my chosen." said the charming voice of none other than Lucius Abraxas Malfoy himself.**_

 _ **The young twenty something wizard strode with a kind of quiet grace into the sitting room and eyed the two younger wizards with the air of infinite possibilities. Both Severus and Regulus Black had been unique wizards with extraordinary talents and their power would only increase with study and time.**_

 _ **Severus smirked looking at Lucius make his grand speech. He knew it all to well having to have endured it the year before.**_

 _ **Regulus Black had been a freshly recruited member and opted to train under Lucius, mostly in a bid to be close to his Slytherin housemate Severus Snape. They had learned to watch each other's backs as far as the rest of the wizarding world had been concerned despite their initial animosities concerning Severus' half blood status and Regulus being the younger brother of Sirius Black.**_

 _ **"I am honored that you have elected to teach me sir." said Regulus truly grateful to be accepted among the ranks of the junior death eaters.**_

 _ **"What is all this sir, rubbish?" asked Lucius with a smirk. "I am no more old enough to be called sir than I am to be your collective fathers...we are apart of a brotherhood now...and given the circumstances we are in fact brothers."**_

 _ **"Indeed." replied Severus going back to his reading.**_

 _ **"Then brothers we shall be." said Regulus Black with a charming smile not so unlike the one Lucius wore.**_

 _ **"Brothers we shall be indeed." replied the handsome blond wizard. "But never forget that I am the eldest."**_

 _ **"Of course not old man." replied Severus with smirk. "We shall never forget the eldest of us given how close you are to being old and gray."**_

 _ **Regulus burst into laughter.**_

 _ **"Sod off Severus." replied Lucius narrowing his eyes. "You shall be as old as I one day and then perhaps Regulus here can remind you of how much of an elder you are to him."**_

 _ **"I very much doubt that I shall have to endure the atrocity that is old age, I am to be a potions master after all." said the cocky raven haired Slytherin.**_

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 _The Study,Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World..._

Lucius Malfoy got to his feet, a painstaking process given his limp. He had been beaten so severely during his time at Azkaban and the subsequent end of the war that he had not moved as well as before.

He made his way out of the study, drunk and weighted down by profound sorrow. His long suffering wife sat quietly knitting in the sitting room where he briefly poked in his head and announced that he was leaving the house. She knew better than to argue with him. His temper becoming more volatile in the later years than ever it had been in his youth.

"Do be careful Lucius, your grandson would like to have you around." she said. "As will I."

"I make no promises." replied the embittered blond wizard. "Perhaps my death would give you some comfort, love."

With that he made for the door and fast apparated away from his once pristine and elegantly kept home.

War had destroyed more than the wizard himself it seemed looking at the once beautiful Malfoy estate and finding only hollowed remains of the vast and impressive sight it once was. Their dining hall had not even been used for family meals since the dark lord saw fit to use it as a command center and the subsequent murder of Hogwarts Professor Charity Burbage still haunted the halls.

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 _Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World..._

Lucius Malfoy had been making his way through Knockturn alley in search of more drink when he caught sight of something that seemed to snap him out of his depressive state. Weary gray eyes took in the sight of a young wizard with tell tale pale skin, lengthy raven hair and what he noted to be obsidian eyes before the wizard turned his back to him.

The beaten blond wizard gasped in horror and amazement.

"I-It can't be." he said finding his voice trembling. "S-Severus?"

Filled with a burning curiosity as well as renewed sense of purpose, Lucius attempted to follow the younger wizard, whom had entered a local brothel.

As he got ready to enter, Lucius found himself thrown from his course of action into a nearby brick wall. He blinked in confusion only to find himself meeting the furious emerald green eyes of an adult Harry James Potter.

"Unhand me Potter." spat Lucius with a voice dripping with content. "I have pressing business."

"The only pressing business you have is occupying a Ministry cell for interrogation Malfoy." said Harry bitterly.

"What the fuck am I to be blamed for this time?" asked a world weary Lucius. "All out of other death eaters to accost so you've come back to your old pal Lucius?"

"You are no pal of mine." replied the green eyed wizard angrily. "Why are you organizing a group to attack the wizarding world?...why are you targeting me and my family?"

Lucius Malfoy rolled his gray eyes at the man whom had still been as prejudice and clueless as the boy he and Severus Snape fought so hard to protect.

"It's amazing that no matter how many years pass, you still remain a stupid, arrogant little shit." he said becoming annoyed. "I've not done anything to you or your worthless little family, I have been wallowing in my own misery, for fuck's sake I barely even leave the manor unless it's to chase drink and in case you haven't noticed, Knockturn Alley has been my second home for years...If I was interested in creating another group of blood crazed nutters, I assure you I'd be the first to know."

Harry didn't seem to believe it.

"I know about the Serpent Brothers Of Destruction." he said in a gruff tone.

Lucius Malfoy's eyes widened for a moment then narrowed.

"How dare you." he said bitterly. "How dare you stand here and throw that name in my face when you have barely a concept of that which you speak."

The green eyed wizard had been confused.

"Stupid boy, you believe just because you have Severus' memories that you know anything about him...or me for that matter?" asked the now angry Senior Malfoy. "Your pathetic little mind cannot even grasp the magnitude of your error in judgement and being blinded by prejudice doesn't help you either."

"What's that suppose to mean?" asked Harry defensive.

"It means, that I am the only surviving member of a group of three wizards." said Lucius. "There is no Serpent Brothers of Destruction as our objective was met via Severus in the last wizarding war."

"The new organization terrorizing the wizarding world say otherwise." said Harry. "And given that you are the last remaining member of the group that would mean you are their de facto leader."

Having heard enough, Lucius headbutted Harry and glared down at him murderously.

"I have lost more in the past two wars than you could ever imagine." he said bitterly. "I've lived in the shadow of a monster for years while attempting to keep my wife and son safe, only to lose my brothers to that despot, one because he believed in the greater good more profoundly than your shit eating order of phoenix, the other died saving the life of not only my only child but the life of an ungrateful little shit that was the very image of his heartache...I've been lost in the bottoms of bottles you could hardly tred and all the while you are celebrated and loved while I am scorned and hated, just as they were for lack of truth...but I formed no organization...I have no allies...I am just a man...not even fit to be called a wizard when I could do nothing to save the very boys who's lives I destroyed by bringing them into the dark lord's grasp."

It was only during this that Harry Potter really began to take in the sight of the once formidable Lucius Malfoy. He had been so beaten down that even the former boy who lived began to feel undoubted sympathy for him.

Just as the green eyed wizard came to the conclusion that Lucius Malfoy had not been the one behind the mask of this mysterious Arcturus, nor had he been apart of the currently renewed Serpent Brothers Of Destruction, he caught sight of a rather angry and already wand drawn Regulus Snape behind Lucius.

The older wizard raised his hands feeling the pressure of a wand pointed into the exposed flesh of his neck and looked down into the anxiously concerned eyes of Harry Potter.

"I-It's alright Regulus...don't hurt him." he stammered.

Lucius arched an eyebrow at the mention of whomever it was behind him's name.

"Regulus?" he asked inquisitively.

"Look geek boy, all I saw was this old long haired blond dude laying you flat on your ass and here you are telling me it's okay?" said the gruff tone of the American wizard.

"I was wrong when I accused him of a crime he didn't commit." said Harry knowing how volatile Regulus could be when he lost his temper.

The American wizard turned Lucius Malfoy around to face him, his obsidian eyes harsh as they examined the older wizard before him.

"S-Severus?" said the Senior Malfoy taken aback by the presence of the young raven haired wizard holding him at wand point.

 _"Legillimens!"_ he said in a low and dangerous tone.

Flashes of a boy with raven hair and obsidian eyes came flooding the mind of the American wizard. Images of his late father as a boy and the years he grew at Hogwarts under the watchful eyes of this strange old wizard before him.

Flashes of hostile fights, usual on the part of his father angry that he could never seem to measure up to Lucius in any fashion during his youth.

The fall out between them over a witch named Narcissa Black.

The reigniting of their friendship following the death of one other by the name of Regulus Black and the birth of Draco Malfoy, the only son of Lucius.

The American wizard watched as his father stood godfather to the baby Draco and vowing to protect him from any and all harm.

The closeness between this old wizard, this Lucius Abraxas Malfoy and his father had been evident in every image.

Regulus pulled out of the older wizard's mind noting the tears that had fallen down his pale cheeks.

"Severus." he said sadly.

"How do you know my father?" asked Regulus aiming his wand at the man before him.

"Father?" asked Lucius stunned. "S-Severus is your father?"

"Was." replied Regulus. "My dad's been dead for nineteen years."

Lucius had not known what to say. He had never even heard of his little brother fathering a child.

"If you don't mind my asking, when were you born?" he asked cautiously.

"Early 1979." replied Regulus with narrowed eyes.

Lucius own eyes widened.

"That would mean you were conceived during the revel of 78." He said understanding. "The Fairchild girl."

Regulus had not liked the idea of Lucius Malfoy's implications as Harry Potter began to get to his feet.

"Regulus..." began the green eyed wizard.

"He named you after him?" asked the Senior Malfoy with an arched brow. "After Regulus?"

The raven haired wizard simply glared at him. Lucius suddenly tore the sleeve of his formerly elegant shirt.

Harry's eyes widened when he saw the tattoo.

"My father had that same tattoo." said Regulus. "He often kept it glamoured...He and a blond wizard with gray eyes...you...the wizard was you."

"So it is as I thought we have met before." said the blond wizard. "Your father must have erased you from my memories."

"Why would Professor Snape do that?" asked the green eyed wizard.

"He wasn't a professor then...He was my little brother." said Lucius sadly. "He wanted to protect you...both of you."

Regulus put away his wand.

"I apologize uncle." He said.

Harry had been shocked to see the tears in the formerly handsome wizard's eyes.

"You look so much like him." he said in a sorrowful tone.

Regulus sighed.

"I'm not my old man." He said almost bitterly.

"I know." replied Lucius.

Regulus took his leave of them taking off without a word. Harry had wished the younger Snape would accept his help. As for Lucius, the green eyed wizard attempted to apologize finding himself alone once more and back to square one regarding whom he believed had been behind this new organization.


	18. Chapter 17:Dark Allure

_**Chapter 17: Dark Allure**_

 **Mature Content Ahead**

 _The Brothel, Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World..._

 **A** low growl escaped the pale lips of Regulus Snape as he towered above a less experienced working girl. The headboard beat again the wall and the old brass bed squeaked as a result of his actions.

This was the third prostitute in a row as none of the other girls seemed to be able to sate his seemingly insatiable lust.

Regulus had his eyes closed, his mind venturing to the one woman in which he desired without reason and knew he couldn't have.

He supposed he had been a lot like his father in this aspect. His mother had told him that Severus Snape often buried his pain in lust.

"Fuck!" shouted Regulus as his mind became bombarded with images of Hermione Granger.

He couldn't control his release and once the wave of intense pleasure had ceased, he quickly climbed off the gasping whore and got dressed.

Hermione had been plaguing his mind quite a bit lately especially with her being laid up at St. Mungo's.

The raven haired wizard quickly dressed and made his way out into the street. He had been thinking about hitting the local pub but found himself inexplicably pulled into another direction.

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 _St. Mungo's Hospital, Muggle World..._

Hermione Jean Granger-Weasley found herself unable to take the evident boredom she was forced to endure due to her status as a very influential wizarding world hero. Ron had come by with the children but his idiotic antics caused them to have a row and he cleared out quickly.

Harry had stopped by briefly to tell her that he had been wrong about Lucius Malfoy's connection to the strange dark wizard faction.

He had been determined to find the true leader and presented her with a new list of potential suspects.

Just when the bed bound witch believed she was going to go out of her mind with boredom, there was a knock at the door and Regulus Snape entered.

"Regulus." She said pleased to see him once more.

"Just came by to see how you were doing." He said with his hands in his pockets.

"Well, have a seat...it's not like you'll get any taller." said Hermione.

Regulus sat down in the chair next to the bed. Hermione sat back against the pillows and their eyes met.

"You must be so fucking bored here." He said looking around.

"Does it show that easily?" she asked.

"Not really, but I'd be bored out of my fucking mind in a cramped box like this." He said.

"I am." admitted the amber eyed witch. "I am so bored that it feels like I'm going mad just sitting here while the rest of the world moves on without me."

"Well, I don't see anything wrong with you." said the raven haired American wizard. "Outside the fact that your husband is a sack of shit for cheating on you and that you need to get more fun out of life."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. She had come to note his vulgar wording as endearing, so long as he was the only one with a mind to speak in that manner. It had the same kind of admirable quality of honesty she had come to know from her former Potions Professor just without the accent and veneer of charm.

After about several minutes, Regulus got to his feet. Hermione believed he was going to leave again but he simply shut and locked it. She had been curious at this point as to what he had been up to given his natural inclination for the vulgar and obscene.

"Stand up." he instructed her.

"I don't think that's a good..." she began.

Before she could get any further Regulus motioned for her to come to him and she found herself levitating and moving toward him.

"H-How are you...?" she began before noting he had been using wand-less magic.

The amber eyed witch floated right into his arms as he moved them both toward the window.

"Close your eyes." he said with a serious expression on his face.

Hermione had been about to protest when he sighed.

"Close your eyes for a moment Gorgeous, there is someone I want you to meet." he said.

Still skeptical, she did as he asked but only to satisfy her own curiosity.

"Icarus." said Regulus out the window. "You can come out now."

Hermione heard a loud shrill call and it made her jump causing her to bump into Regulus' chest. He wrapped his arms around her to steady her as they both stood at the window. He smelled of herbs and fresh earth with a bit of leather and a hint of sweat.

Unable to help herself, she found her body pressed hard against his. The tense muscles of his torso pressed into her back as his large pale hands kept her steady as she regained her balance as they rested on her hip with a strong but considerate grip.

The amber eyed witch bit her lip as the image of this strange wizard thrusting into the common whore the first time she met him came flooding back and making her uncomfortable. Regulus didn't seem to have a problem with being so close to her. It seemed to last forever before he instructed her to open her eyes.

Once she had, the large blue eye of what she had not known to be a Leviathan Thunderbird had been staring back at her.

"W-What is he?" she asked stunned by the sight of such a strange creature.

"Hermione meet Icarus, a Leviathan Thunderbird." said Regulus making the introductions. "Icarus this is Hermione, a nice but formidable British witch."

Icarus let out another shrill call shaking the hospital with his excitement.

"I suggest we go before he knocks the whole building down or somebody sees him." said Regulus with a smirk.

"Go?" asked Hermione coming to her senses as he moved from her toward the window.

"Yes." replied the raven haired wizard. "Unless you wish to stay bored for the rest of the day?"

Hermione sighed.

She didn't know much about this wizard or the strange creature he brought with him, but she wasn't going to sit in a boring hospital room when a magnificent discover like this was begging for her to get to the bottom of it.

Regulus expended his hand and they both jumped out of the magically altered window and onto the back of the great bird.

With a low flap of his wings, the Leviathan Thunderbird, and both magically inclined individuals were gone.

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 _Open Sky, Wizarding World..._

It had been an altogether exhilarating experience for Hermione Granger as she sat on the back of the fast flying Thunderbird. Regulus had been behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist. His arms strong as he held her despite the speeds in which they flew. Her heart was pounding in her chest with the rush of adrenaline filling her, although she had not known if it was from the flight or from the wizard being so close to her.

As they flew and she discovered a great many wonders about the world she lived in, Hermione couldn't outright deny the attraction she felt for the younger Snape. He had been like his father in more ways than one, a constant figure of change and indecisiveness. He lived close to the edge but wished to be centered. He played the role of a tough bloke but had been so vulnerable and in need.

Hermione felt terrible that her Potions Professor had died alone and scorned by the world he had shed his blood for, while his wife and son wished for his safe return elsewhere. She admired the strength the older wizard showed in completing his mission despite all that he lost.

Now here was Regulus, the only son of that incredibly brave wizard unsure of what to make of his life and haunted by the unanswered questions of his past. He had been angry at his father for leaving but he knew not why it had been done.

The amber eyed witch wished to know more about this strange American son of her former Potions Professor and why he had been here instead of his own home country. What had been more impressive was how he had come into the possession of a very rare and normally wild magical creature.

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 _Open Sky, Wizarding World..._

Regulus had been holding Hermione Granger since they left the hospital. He could smell the fresh jasmine scent of her bushy hair and the lingering fragrance of whatever perfume she had put on. It was difficult to keep his lust in check given his well noted desire for her. When they landed on a small island far from the view of prying eyes.

Hermione seemed excited and intrigued not only by Icarus but by him as well.

"I've only ever flown on the back of a hippoguff before." she said still amazed form the flight.

"And was it as fast as a Thunderbird?" asked Regulus.

"Not nearly." she replied. "But he was a dear friend."

Regulus smiled and made his way toward a small rock formation and sat down. He seemed more at ease when out of the main land. The sea that surrounded them had been calm for the most part despite the thunderous sky and flashing lightening.

"She who rides the lightening." he said seemingly at random as he gazed upon the beautiful witch before him.

"What?" asked Hermione catching his words but not fully understanding them.

"Nothing." said Regulus "Just the echo of some story my father use to tell me when I was a kid."

The amber eyes of the now inquisitive witch met those of unreadable obsidian on the pale wizard before her.

"You know it's strange, some times I look at you and I can't help but see him." she said. "I know you have your own opinion when it comes to him, but he saved my life...and the lives of countless others."

"A deed which did little to comfort his long suffering wife who wanted him to come home in one piece." said Regulus unable to hid his bitterness.

"That's another thing, I never knew Professor Snape was married." said Hermione. "Quiet frankly I never knew much about him at all."

"But you remained attracted to him." said Regulus getting to his feet with a handful of stones.

"I-I didn't say that." said Hermione.

"You didn't have to." replied the raven haired wizard. "It's written all over your face when you look at me, it's part of the reason you are so drawn to me, even with my many issues and vulgar speech...you find that part of the old man and you hold on for dear life."

"W-Well...I." Hermione's cheeks turned red.

Regulus got a good laugh at her apparent embarrassment.

"It's alright Granger." he said in a surprisingly understanding tone. "I am a lot like him...I've recognized as much, I have his intellect, his looks and obviously his keen sense of self-awareness."

"A-Are you reading my mind?" she asked with a wide eyed expression.

"And apparently I have his skill at Legillimency." said Regulus with a wicked smirk.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at the raven haired wizard.

"You are reading my mind." she said putting her hands on her hips. "You bloody git!"

Regulus continued laughing only to find himself giving chase as Hermione attempted to hex him for invading her private thoughts.

"It's rude to intrude upon other people's thoughts!" she shouted.

"It's not intruding if it's about me." called Regulus as they zipped across the island's coastline.

Hermione didn't find his jokes very amusing as he ran and she chased after him.

"It's not funny git." she said as he dodged her hexes.

All had been seemingly counter productive until Regulus did a back flip into the air stunning Hermione to a stop and ended up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her as she struggled against him causing them both to collapse onto the sands of the beach.

Hermione looked up at Regulus as the impressive wizard towered above her. Their eyes met for what seemed like hours but it had only been a brief few minutes. Like the waves crashing against the edge of the sands, their lips met.

A feeling of comfortable heat and heightened exhilaration filled them as they shared a long and intensely passionate kiss on the largely forgotten island.

"Hermione." said Regulus unable to contain his need for her.

The amber eyes of the mother of two widened as she felt his ill-contained need. The reality of it seeming to shatter the moment as she attempted to get him off her.

"Regulus...stop." she said as she got a hold of her senses.

The raven haired wizard blinked noting the serious expression on her face. He wanted so badly to continue but pulled away quickly adjusting his rather aroused appendage and attempted to catch his breath.

"I-I'm sorry." he said apologetically. "I didn't mean for..."

"It's alright." said Hermione attempting to catch her own breath. "We both just caught up in the excitement of a grand adventure."

Regulus arched an eyebrow at this.

"Listen...I can still take you back if..." he began not truly sure if he wanted to let her leave.

"I should be getting back." said Hermione reasonably. "But this must be understood, I am a married woman with two children to consider, and you are admittedly attractive and all together fascinating...sadly I am not available for your flirtatious and charming antics."

Regulus couldn't help but smile.

"So you admit I am charming." he said amused.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I'm trying to be sensible about this you arrogant vulgar American git." she said annoyed.

"I know." he replied evenly. "I just don't take rejection well."

"I'm not rejecting you...per-say...not a person." she said honestly. "But as far as romantic advancement is concerned...you should find someone available."

"Translation...let's just be friends." he said not at all surprised by her rational.

"Yes." she replied relieved. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

Regulus sighed.

"Alright." he said.

Hermione had been surprised that he would agree so easily.

"Really?" she asked stunned.

"Yeah sure why not?" he replied. "I think we should be getting you back before geek boy sends out a search party."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. She had appreciated Regulus' dry humor. It reminded her so much of Professor Snape but vastly uncensored.

"You know you're right about that." she said.

"Icarus." said Regulus turning his attention to the enormous Thunderbird.

Icarus beat his great wings nearly causing a hurricane in his excitement. He seemed to take a liking to Hermione as she stroked his beak and he gave a shrill call.

Regulus and Hermione climbed onto his back.

"Alright, friend." he said. "Let's get you back to the hospital."


	19. Chapter 18:Past Imperfect

_**Chapter 18: Past Imperfect**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy -S.S.**_

 _ **The Inn, Muggle World...(1978)**_

 _ **Elaine Hillar stood outside the Inn staring up at the night sky. The news of her pregnancy had through her through a loop as she tried to figure out what it all meant. Severus Snape had saved her life that strange night, while he had not been a complete gentleman and more or less as bad as his death eater brethren, he had ultimately saved her despite the risks to himself.**_

 _ **She had not understood why a young man as brilliant as he had been was in the company of murderers and thieves. He had seemed a good sort, as far as his heart had been concerned and as a result she felt no ill-will toward him nor rage for the conception of the child that had been growing so rapidly inside her.**_

 _ **Elaine sighed trying to come to terms with her impending motherhood.**_

 _ **She had fully intended to keep the child, but wished she could discuss it's birth with the father, with Severus.**_

 _ **He had told her to forget he had ever existed but the kiss he gave her seemed to be a desperate attempt on his part to ensure that she didn't.**_

 _ **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**_

 _ **Spinner's End, Cokeworth, England, Muggle World...**_

 _ **Eighteen year old Severus S. Snape paced the sitting room of his childhood home in the muggle world. He had been thinking about that girl Delilah Fairchild more often than not as he continued to pace the room with a bottle of firewhiskey in his hands. She had been different from the other girls he had been with, which had not been many.**_

 _ **His appearance alone was enough to put a girl off from interest in him, followed by his bitter personality and blood status. Being born penniless didn't help him much either.**_

 _ **The first had been Lily Evans.**_

 _ **His childhood love seemed far more interested in the likes of James Potter despite using him rather shamelessly as practice until he was no longer needed. The sting of her bitter rejection of him following the loss of his virtue to her was not easily ignored.**_

 _ **The second had been Narcissa Black.**_

 _ **The second most intense love affair he found himself becoming swept into. The loveliest witch in all of creation as far as Purebloods had been concerned had given him the time of day. While their connection was indeed more real than either could have imagined and she accepted him faults and all, pressure from her family to marry another Pureblood saw her crumble to their will.**_

 _ **Sadly, the Pureblood wizard chosen for her had been none other than Lucius Malfoy, Severus' best friend and mentor.**_

 _ **To say the young wizard was Heartbroken was an understatement. He hardly ever spoke to Lucius on a personal level keeping his distance from Narcissa with the exception of when Regulus called them all together.**_

 _ **He had spent a good many days bitterly attending to his studies and swearing off women as far as an emotional connection had been concerned. He had not yet achieved any real status in the wizarding world despite leaving Hogwarts a year prior but he was studying under the tutelage of Potions Master, Phaeron Aurelius.**_

 _ **Bellatrix LeStrange had been the third.**_

 _ **The elder sister of his former lover Narcissa and resident deranged member of the Black family tree.**_

 _ **A drunken Severus bedded the witch out of spite following Lucius and Narcissa's wedding. He had been far too hurt to consider his actions and much too bitter to let said consideration stop him.**_

 _ **By the time Delilah Fairchild had basically fallen into his lap, via Voldemort pitying him for his lack of ability to seek physical companionship, he had been embittered and very much into the philosophy of the dark arts.**_

 _ **The frightened muggle girl reminded him so much of his own mother in her easy acceptance of what was to befall her but not enough to divert him from his intended course to ravage her.**_

 _ **While he had not been as brutal as he initially intended, he found himself drawn to the frightened teenage girl. She had thanked him. The bloody fool had actually thanked him for what he had done to her.**_

 _ **Unable to comprehend why she had been so sweet and believed so much in him, Severus Snape set out amid a drunken haze. He had hated her for her kindness. After a lifetime of being treated like dirt at the bottom of everyone he came in contact's shoes, he decided that he would give as good as he got.**_

 _ **Then she showed up.**_

 _ **Severus had not known why he had been out in the dead of night trying to recall the direction in which the frightened witch had gone. It had been months since he had seen her. The only spot for miles had been an old Inn. Logic dictated that she would have sought refuge here but he had not been sure if she moved on already.**_

 _ **EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE**_

 _ **The Inn, Muggle World...**_

 _ **The loud clap of thunder awakened Elaine as she lied in her bed still wishing she knew what to do concerning the impending birth of her child. She had not been married and she was sure Severus was long gone and at the very least wanted nothing more to do with her.**_

 _ **When she heard the noise, she jumped out of bed and made her way toward the front door. She had hoped the loud noise had not scared the sleeping elder couple just across the hall. Slipping on her robe and slippers, she headed down the stairs and toward the door.**_

 _ **She had been completely surprised to find a drunken Severus Snape standing on the other side. Her eyes met his seemingly curious obsidian ones as he took in the sight of her.**_

 _ **"There's something different about you." he said in almost a growl. "It's like you're glowing or something."**_

 _ **"Severus..." said Elaine surprised to see him.**_

 _ **Severus glared at the muggle that plagued his thoughts. He reached out to touch her, fully expecting her to reject him.**_

 _ **Much to his surprise, Severus found her throwing her arms around him and pressing her body to his.**_

 _ **"I'm so glad they didn't hurt you...or worse." she said happily.**_

 _ **Severus had been confused. He had not expected her to be so pleased to see him.**_

 _ **"What's wrong with you?" he hissed angrily. "Have you forgotten..."**_

 _ **Before he could get a word out, the sleeping elderly couple arrived. The old man's eyes were fixed on the ebony clad wizard.**_

 _ **"This must be the father." He said in a cheerful tone.**_

 _ **Elaine stepped back from him attempting to gauge his reaction.**_

 _ **"Father?" he said looking from the old couple to Elaine.**_

 _ **"I was hoping for the right time to tell you this...you had just gotten here after all" said Elaine nervously. "Severus...I'm well...I'm pregnant."**_

 _ **The raven wizard stared at the nervous muggle girl for a moment as rage began to fill him. He recalled that she had been a virgin when he first bedded her and that it had been three months since that time.**_

 _ **"How far along?" he asked probing her mind for any sign of lies.**_

 _ **"Three months." said Elaine. "Three months exactly."**_

 _ **Severus had known what this meant. He had been the father of her unborn child.**_

 _ **A look of fear flickered behind his obsidian eyes. As it spread across Elaine's youthful face.**_

 _ **The old man had been the first to speak. His aged eyes filled with knowing.**_

 _ **"Perhaps you and I should have a chat son." he said with a smile.**_

 _ **Severus suddenly tensed. No one had ever called him that before not even his own drunken brute of a father and here was this muggle man showing him patriarchal kindness.**_

 _ **He nodded as the old man lead him toward the door where the confines of the Inn wouldn't be too much on the younger man's already rattled nerves.**_

 _ **Elaine had gone into the kitchen with his wife and they spoke a bit enjoying a cup of tea before turning back into bed when they realized that whatever the men had to say was going to take a lot longer than either of them thought.**_

 _ **EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE**_

 _ **The Inn, Muggle World...**_

 _ **Elaine had been half asleep when she felt the sudden dip in her bed as Severus came crawling toward her. His face had been innocent, vulnerable even as he made sure to avoid causing her harm. The teenage muggle girl smiled when he wrapped his arms around her clad in his trousers and long sleeve white shirt.**_

 _ **"Severus." she said pleased that he had been there.**_

 _ **"Everything is going to be alright." he said with a look in his eyes that she had never seen before.**_

 _ **Elaine smiled at him and pressed her back against his chest as he held her. His lank raven hair still in a curtain around his aquiline nose. There were no other words spoke, as she knew he would be there for not only her rapidly growing unborn child but her as well when ever she needed him.**_

 _ **As they drifted off to sleep, young Severus' hand rested gently against the sleeping Elaine's belly.**_


	20. Chapter 19:The Disillusionment Of Death

_**Chapter 19: The Disillusionment Of Death**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy -S.S.**_

 _ **{"Addressing those beneath from high above...Convincing his belief for what you love...Baiting every hook with filthy lies...Another charlatan to idolize...You pay with your life...The duller the knife, the longer it takes (the longer it takes)...But now it's your turn...The ashes will burn, and wither away...Leaving your bones out on the stones, picking them clean (picking them clean)...And carving the truth, while harvesting you to feed the machine (to feed the machine)..."} Feed The Machine, Nickelback**_

 _ **Cliff Side, Unknown Location...(1979)...**_

 _ **Regulus Arcturus Black stood watching as the waves crashed against the surface of the jagged stone long carved out by the frequent blade of the angry ocean. The dark eyes of the now eighteen year old Slytherin wizard and pride of the House of Black had been filled with sorrow and regret.**_

 _ **The truth about the so called "Dark Lord", Tom Riddle was as terrible as the threats to his beliefs seemed to be over two years prior causing his alliance with those of a like mind to make the world a safer place for the magically inclined.**_

 _ **Regulus had trusted no other with the weight of the burden on his youthful shoulders except his brothers. Lucius had a family now and as such he had become more vulnerable to attack should Tom Riddle decide to twist his arm. The young wizard had been told of Narcissa's early stages of pregnancy and afterward decided that Lucius would be least likely to be involved in this ordeal.**_

 _ **Severus had arrived moments after he had and the expression on his face had been bewilderment.**_

 _ **"Severus." said Regulus. "Is there something wrong?"**_

 _ **The raven haired wizard shook his head.**_

 _ **"Nothing is wrong, Regulus." he said meeting the eyes of his "little brother."**_

 _ **"You'd tell me if there was?" asked the charming young Slytherin.**_

 _ **"No." replied Severus honestly.**_

 _ **Regulus chuckled at this.**_

 _ **"Same old Sev." he said fondly. "I know Lucius couldn't get away tonight so I'll trust you to relay the message to him...I am going away for a few days and I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't come looking for me."**_

 _ **Severus arched an eyebrow at this.**_

 _ **"Regulus what are you up to?" he asked immediately suspicious.**_

 _ **"Nothing for you to concern yourself with Sev." he said with a charming smile. "You and Lucius got yourselves pretty fine women to look after...sometimes it makes me think that I might have wasted my life...you know chasing the unobtainable and thrown away many a good relationship."**_

 _ **"Where is all this coming from?" asked Severus still highly suspicious of his friend.**_

 _ **"No where Sev." replied Regulus casually. "Just some thoughts that have been rattling about in my head."**_

 _ **The young Potions Apprentice had attempted to invade his mind only to find himself blocked.**_

 _ **"Nice try old timer." he said with a grin. "Perhaps you taught me Occlemancy a bit too well...Sev."**_

 _ **"It seems so." replied Severus returning his grin.**_

 _ **"While we're on the subject of teaching, you'd make a great Professor some day." said Regulus with a grin.**_

 _ **"Don't be ridiculous." muttered Severus. "I didn't enjoy school when I had to go there for my own education, what makes you think I'd get anything accomplished by teaching dunderheads."**_

 _ **Regulus burst out laughing.**_

 _ **"See Sev...you'd make one hell of a Professor." he said amused. "Just stand at the front of the class and tell them they're all dunderheads with that booming voice of yours and I'll bet they'll listen."**_

 _ **"I have no interest in becoming another Slughorn." replied Severus annoyed. "I've much bigger plans for my future thank you very much."**_

 _ **"Whatever you say Sev." said Regulus with a smirk. "Just Promise me one thing."**_

 _ **"What's that?" asked Severus with an arched eyebrow.**_

 _ **"You'll name the little tyke after me." said Regulus with a serious expression.**_

 _ **"I'd ask you how you figured out about the child but I know you all too well." replied Severus.**_

 _ **Regulus treated him to another charming smile.**_

 _ **"What can I say, you taught me well." he said.**_

 _ **"Indeed I did." replied Severus shaking his head in disbelief.**_

 _ **Regulus neglected to mention his intentions given what he had witnessed in Severus' mind during the older wizard's attempt to invade his own mind and had thus been thwarted. Both his brothers were due to be fathers and it seemed wrong to tear them from their families.**_

 _ **The youngest of them made up his mind that he and he alone would attempt the dangerous feat of stopping the despot before he ever truly got started.**_

 _ **RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR**_

 _ **Unknown Location, Unknown World...**_

 _ **Gasping for breath as the last of his life had been about to leave him, Regulus Arcturus Black gripped the stone as the inferi attempted to pull him underwater. His mind flashed through the last eighteen years of his life. He knew instinctively that he wouldn't trade a single moment of them, especially not the one's her spent with both Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape.**_

 _ **The pain had been great as the poison he consumed continued to shut down his vital organs coupled with the freezing temperatures of the water, so cold it had been that it was like liquid fire burning his already numb and poisoned laced flesh.**_

 _ **He had sent Kreacher away with the locket hoping that the house elf would find a way to destroy it. The images of Lucius being father to Narcissa's child filled his mind as his grip on the frozen stone began to slip. The images of Severus Snape and his own young son had filled his mind and a smile filed across his rapidly paling face.**_

 _ **"Little Regulus." he said pleased that at least one aspect of his memory would remain while those he held dear would remain safe from the despot, should he ever discover his blatant treachery. "I hope you have better luck than I."**_

 _ **Finally slipping into the waters, poisoned and dragged down by Inferi, Regulus Black met his unfortunate end, the only reminder of his loss had been a small baby boy born with obsidian eyes and the promise carried over from one dear friend to another.**_

 _ **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**_

 _ **The Inn, Muggle World...**_

 _ **Severus Snape awakened with his adrenaline flowing and tears streaming down his sallow pale cheeks. His body trembled and he gripped the sheets for dear life. Sweat poured down his body as his bed-mate, Elaine awoke to check on him.**_

 _ **"REGULUS!" shouted Severus leaping from the bed.**_

 _ **He had been a wreck with his raven hair covering his face, much like the mane of a lion as he moved briskly about. He gathered his attire and attempted to rush out the door only to be stopped by an eight months pregnant Elaine with news of her water breaking.**_

 _ **{"Name the little tyke after me..."} Regulus had said.**_

 _ **Severus looked at the teenage girl he had given a child to as the images of his night terror replayed in his mind. It had been too late to save his friend, he knew that now. Springing into action he turned his attention to the girl in need of his assistance.**_

 _ **For that night was the tragic end of Regulus Arcturus Black's adventurously short life and the birth of his namesake Regulus Snape.**_


	21. Chapter 20:Across The River Of Time

_**Chapter 20: Across The River Of Time**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.**_

 _Spinner's End, Cokeworth England, Muggle World..._

 _ **B**_ ad weather had seemed to be the staple of Severus Snape's hometown of Cokeworth, England in the muggle world. The constant downpour had not been inspiring in the least as Regulus found himself tending to a leaky roof now and again. It had been quiet as far as the young Snape could tell almost deafening given the silence inside the formerly occupied house. Little by little, Regulus had been fixing up the old place. He had not been sure why, but he figured if he was going to crash in England for a few weeks he might as well see to his father's old place while he was there.

The raven haired American wizard made his way out toward the front steps and caught a glimpse of what looked to be an eleven year old boy making his way toward the cemetery in the rain.

Curious, Regulus left the steps and followed the strange boy as he made his way toward the graves. He had not ventured to this place since he laid his long suffering mother to rest. The elder wizard noted that the boy had made his way over toward his mother's grave. Unable to hold back his curiosity any longer, he caught up to him.

"Hey Kid!" he shouted suddenly filled with rage given where the kid had ended up. "What are you doing at my mother's grave?"

The boy seemed to ignore him kneeling at the grave and staring as if he had not been able to take his eyes off it.

"Elaine." he said softly as if he had been in a trance.

Hearing his mother's name only seemed to increase his rage as he suddenly lunged forward and grabbed the kid by the collar. Regulus' eyes widened when he found himself staring into the emerald green eyes of Albus Severus Potter.

The youngest son of Harry Potter and Hermione's nephew.

"W-What the hell?" said Regulus dropping the boy instantly. "Why the hell are you here kid and why are you so familiar with my mother?"

Albus Severus didn't say a word as his emerald green eyes drifted back to the grave.

"I'm talking to you." said Regulus in a demanding tone. "How the fuck do you know my mother!?"

The thin younger wizard said nothing but didn't take his eyes off the grave of Elaine Snape.

"ANSWER ME!" shouted a testy Regulus Snape.

"I-I don't know." replied Albus Severus seemingly nervous. "I-I don't even know how I got here."

Regulus sighed not sure if he believed this boy but there was something in him that seemed to recognize the truth in his words.

"Fuck." he muttered no closer to any answers than when he didn't know the boy's identity. "Come on...the last thing you need is to be in the rain given how sickly you look as it is."

The nervous young wizard followed the brutish older wizard back toward Spinner's End.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

 _ **St. Mungo's Hospital, Muggle World...(1975)**_

 _ **Severus Sebastian Snape had been frantic as Elaine clutched his trembling pale hand. He had not known the first thing about a baby nor the process of childbirth and here he was on his way to the delivery floor with a very terrified Elaine gripping his hand for dear life.**_

 _ **"Severus!?" she said feeling the contractions as they moved swiftly down the corridor.**_

 _ **"It'll be alright." said Severus in a bid to reassure the young woman soon to give birth at only seventeen years of age.**_

 _ **"Severus, please don't leave me." she said truly frightened.**_

 _ **"I'm no coward." he said. "I'll be here."**_

 _ **The nurses pushed him aside and he stopped in the lobby as they continued to wheel her out of his sight. She reached out for him but he wasn't allowed to follow given they had not been married and much too young in the eyes of the hospital staff to have been anyhow.**_

 _ **Severus paced the corridors for news on Elaine and the baby's condition.**_

 _ **He had been informed that she had been fine but the same could not have been said for one of the children.**_

 _ **The future Potions Professor stared at the doctor in disbelief.**_

 _ **"Children?" he asked unsure if he heard the man right.**_

 _ **"Oh..." said the physician stunned. "You didn't know...she had twins...unfortunately one of them didn't make it."**_

 _ **"H-How can this be?" asked Severus caught off guard. "S-She never mentioned being pregnant with more than one...does she know...about the other baby I mean?"**_

 _ **The doctor nodded.**_

 _ **Hearing this Severus made up his mind and pushed passed the doors and groups of nurses. He knew she needed him.**_

 _ **It was almost as if he could feel it.**_

 _ **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**_

 _ **Room 201, St. Mungo's Hospital, Muggle World...**_

 _ **Tears streamed down her cheeks as she held a small bundle with raven hair and tell tale pale skin in her arms.**_

 _ **"Severus." she said seeing him at once.**_

 _ **"Shhhh." he said rather nervous around the small thing in her arms.**_

 _ **"I-I'm so sorry." she said as the tears continued. "I lost him...I lost our son."**_

 _ **"Elaine." said Severus softly stroking her cheek. "It doesn't matter anymore...all that matters is what we can do for Regulus now."**_

 _ **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**_

 _Spinner's End, Cokeworth, England, Muggle World..._

By the time Regulus Snape and Albus Severus Potter entered Spinner's End, they had each been soaked to the bone from the rapidly falling rain. The older raven haired wizard set to work setting a fire and getting something warm to drink ready for the two of them to stave off the cold. Albus Severus stood in front of the door with his eyes wide and his hands trembling as he glanced up at the narrow staircase.

"You alright kid?" asked Regulus confused by the boy's strange behavior. "I mean...I know I was a bit pissed about you being by my mother's grave but I thought you would have gotten over it by now."

"It's not that." replied Albus Severus in something of an emotionless tone. "It's..."

"It's what?" asked Regulus finding himself curious about the strange kid once more.

"I don't know." replied Albus Severus with a bit of aggression of his own.

Regulus sighed.

"Alright kid." he said resigned to getting back to the warm drinks. "Have it your way...but once the weather lets up I'm taking you back home."

"Fine by me." muttered Albus Severus sitting in the armchair near the fire.

Shaking his head in annoyance, Regulus made his way toward the kitchen. It had been strange to note that he had yet to even venture into the kitchen given the length of time that he had stayed here.

Once his business in the surprisingly clean and pristine looking kitchen had been concluded, Regulus turned his attention to the steaming cups of hot tea. He had know tea was good on days like this, courtesy of his father and figured it would put the kid's mind at ease.

"Come and get it kid." called the raven haired wizard.

Albus Severus got to his feet after staring at the fire for a bit and approached the door to the kitchen only to be stopped dead in his tracks.

After several minutes, Regulus hadn't seen hide nor hair of Albus Severus Potter and went to investigate fearing the kid bailed in the middle of the storm. He had been stunned to see the boy staring at the door to the kitchen as if he had been in a trance.

"Hey." said Regulus confused about the boy's strange behavior. "The tea's getting cold."

"I-I'll take mine out here thank you." said Albus Severus finding his voice despite not taking his eyes off the door.

"Listen...kid there is something weird going on with you and I think you should talk to your old man about it." said Regulus observant.

"I don't need his help." said Albus Severus bitterly. "All he cares about his me getting into Gryffindor at Hogwarts...but I already know that's not the house I'm going to."

Regulus had arched an eyebrow at this.

"And what house is that?" he asked not at all familiar with Hogwarts houses despite it being known to him his father was the Head of Slytherin.

"Slytherin." replied Albus Severus. "I'm going to Slytherin house...I can already tell...and I don't want to play Quidditch...he wants me to but I'd rather read and study potions...he doesn't seem to be interested in what I want to do...he's already picked out seats of my games."

"Well that's sucks." replied Regulus. "My old man never cared much for Quidditch...I never knew what the hell it was given that I went to school in North America."

"At least you didn't have to endure being a Potter." said Albus Severus.

"Being a Snape wasn't as fun as you'd think." replied Regulus. "Especially in a new place with strange faces."

Regulus sighed.

"Tell you what...we'll continue this chat over some tea...it should make you feel better." he said.

"You mean the calming draught should make me feel better." said Albus Severus.

"Calming draught?" asked Regulus caught off guard.

"You mean you didn't know?" asked Albus Severus with a small smile. "Your father always put it in your tea whenever you were ill or upset."

"How would you know that?" asked Regulus with an arched brow.

Albus Severus shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know." he replied. "I think I dreamed it once."

"You're a strange kid Potter." said Regulus unsure what to make of this boy.

"And you are lost Snape." replied Albus Severus. "Or at least that's what the man in my dreams always says."

"I'm curious to know what this man looks like." said Regulus.

"I don't know." replied Albus Severus. "He always keeps to the shadows...but his voice is deep and always sad."

"Alright, this is getting to be a chore." said Regulus. "Come on before the tea gets cold."

"I can't go in there." said Albus Severus suddenly frightened at the prospect of entering the kitchen.

"What do you mean?" asked Regulus. "It's clean if that's what you're worried about."

"No." said Albus Severus more firmly.

"Kid..." started Regulus seemingly losing his patience.

"I said no." replied Albus Severus in a stern tone. "I cannot go in there...he killed her in there you can't make me go in there!"

The comments from the young frightened wizard had stunned the raven haired wizard.

"What are you talking about?" he asked more confused than when this all began. "Who was killed and who is _HE_?"

"I'm not going in there." said Albus Severus ignoring him as his magic began to swirl in reaction to his distress.

"Alright...alright...calm down." said Regulus conceding. "I'll get the tea for fuck's sake."

Albus Severus seemed to have calmed a bit and made his way back toward the armchair.

Regulus ventured into the kitchen to retrieve the tea.

 _This was turning out to be one strange fucking day._


	22. Chapter 21:The Dark Side Of The Moon

_**Chapter 21: The Dark Side Of The Moon**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy S.S.**_

 _ **{"If I go crazy then will you still call me superman...if I'm alive and well will you be there holding my hand...I'll keep you by my side with my superhuman...my Kryptonite..."} Kryptonite, 3 Doors Down**_

 _ **The Snape Residence, North America, Muggle World...(October 31st, 1981)**_

 _ **The smashing of glass and toppling of furniture had been enough to startle a sleeping three year old Regulus Snape. He climbed out of bed, a feat not easy for just any three year old given his intellect and magical powers it was simple enough. He had been dressed in his dinosaur pajamas and his tiny feet had been bare as he peeked around the corner of the hall in time to see his father amid a destroyed sitting room. Toppled furniture had been everywhere as Severus Snape, devoid of his trademark black frock coat had been draped in his unpressed long sleeve white shirt and ebony trousers.**_

 _ **Standing in the center of the ransacked room had been the boy's mother, tense and visibly pale with tears streaming down her supple cheeks as she seemed to have aged quite a bit as the haunting reality she had just been exposed to was laid out before her.**_

 _ **Severus Snape, no longer the viral young wizard with the promise of a future unimpeded before him had looked more pale than he had in all the years of his existence. His lengthy raven hair hung limp at his shoulders and his sallow pale face had seemed to take on 100 years of misery as he kneeled before his shaken wife.**_

 _ **Regulus had been confused as he watched his parents seemingly clinging to each other in the darkness as if it had been for dear life.**_

 _ **"She's dead because of me." said Severus in an emotionless tone.**_

 _ **Elaine ran her fingers through her grief-stricken husband's lank raven hair and pulled him closer. He leaned against her resting his head on her belly, a belly that had been barren since the birth of their sons...leaving only one alive in the wake of everything between them.**_

 _ **"I'm sorry." said Severus almost absently. "I'm so sorry."**_

 _ **"Severus." said Elaine still stroking his head with affection.**_

 _ **"They're all dead because of me." he admitted pulling away from her.**_

 _ **Their eyes met, obsidian and light brown. The serious tone of their mutual moods after a great many confessions from the sorrowful young raven haired wizard aged terribly in the span of one night.**_

 _ **"I was the one that sent the fire spell at your vehicle." said Snape not daring to lose her gaze. "It was my turn to participate in the hunt...I made the crash possible that enable the others to capture you and your friends."**_

 _ **Elaine didn't want to hear anymore. She placed a finger on his pale lips. Despite all the pain he caused her, he had been the one to save her life, he had been the one she had given herself to...he had been the father of her two sons, one deceased and the other alive and well.**_

 _ **"They'll be coming for me." said Severus in a hopeless tone. "As well they should...Azkaban is what I deserve...given all that I've done."**_

 _ **"No." said Elaine suddenly terrified. "Severus that place is monstrous."**_

 _ **"Can you think of a more fitting place for me?" he asked.**_

 _ **"You don't deserve that." said Elaine meaningfully. "You are young you are entitled to make some mistakes...it's not as if anyone has taught you any better...they have no right to judge you no one has the right..."**_

 _ **"It is the law of the wizarding world." explained Severus despite the sorrow in his tone. "I'll do my best to ensure you and Regulus have all you need to survive without me..."**_

 _ **"NO!" shouted Elaine finding herself angry. "I won't accept this Severus...you belong here with your family...they can't arrest you if..."**_

 _ **"The wizarding world isn't bound by countries, Love." replied Severus seeming to accept his fate. "I am a citizen of the wizarding world and as such I am subject to their laws and the consequences of breaking them."**_

 _ **Hearing this Elaine dropped to her knees and embraced her husband fully as more tears streamed down her cheeks.**_

 _ **"I've failed you." he said holding her.**_

 _ **"No." said Elaine holding onto him as if for dear life. "You could never fail me Severus...you are the only person in this world whom has never failed me...I know life wasn't easy for you and it's still challenging but you still have me...and we have our son...no matter what happens."**_

 _ **"A price must be paid." said Severus.**_

 _ **Elaine touched his face making him focus on her and only her despite his guilt.**_

 _ **"Not tonight." she said softly. "Please...Severus...you've been through enough."**_

 _ **RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR**_

 _ **The Snape Residence, North America...**_

 _ **Severus Snape looked over his sleeping wife as the first lights of dawn appeared over the horizon. He knew he didn't deserve neither her love nor her kindness but he granted her final request and took her to bed before departing for the wizarding world. He gave her one final kiss before he left the room and ventured to see his only surviving son.**_

 _ **Regulus had been asleep in his own bed. The young raven haired wizard sighed noting the innocence on the face of the sleeping boy. He knew he'd protect that innocence by any means necessary given that his own had long since been gone.**_

 _ **He dared not touch Regulus, noting the blood on his hands due to his actions for fear of said acts resulting in something befalling the boy as it had his brother.**_

 _ **"Sleep little Prince." he said softly as a single tear streamed down his sallow pale cheek. "For you are a far better man than me."**_

 _ **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**_

 _ **The Forbidden Forest, Wizarding World...**_

 _ **The first blow stung. It caused his knees to buckle but he didn't fight it as the next magical projection landed in his stomach like a power packed punch and he finally collapsed onto the cold hard ground. The scent of rain and fresh earth had been abundant in terms of etching a final memory for his last night of freedom as the Aurors set upon him. They had been searching for the death eater Severus Snape and they found him.**_

 _ **The enraged eyes of Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody had took in the sight of the weak and unworthy young punk whom had seen better days even while attending Hogwarts.**_

 _ **The death of The Potter family had enraged the wizarding world as well as cemented them in memory for all eternity as Heroes of the wizarding world for their part in the downfall of the despot Voldemort.**_

 _ **Severus Snape had been a named death eater brought in for questioning.**_

 _ **"I've got you now boy." said Mad-Eye in a gruff tone.**_

 _ **For good measure he punched the already ailing young wizard in the stomach causing him to double over in agony.**_

 _ **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**_

 _ **Azkaban Prison, Wizarding World...**_

 _ **Beaten to the point of spitting blood and seeing double Severus Snape had been thrown unceremoniously into a rather small gray cell. He collapsed onto the cold stone floor and had not moved since he landed even as his blood began to pool around him.**_

 _ **He knew it was no less than what he deserved but his mind went back to Elaine and their son. He couldn't help but think of the boy whom would grow into a man without him. Part of him believed had been best, possibly the distance would keep them save and Regulus could be better than he was. The other part of him knew all too well the rage that burned inside of him would undoubtedly be passed on to his only son.**_

 _ **He feared the darkness getting control of Regulus as it had him for most of his life and it gave him pause.**_

 _ **After just two days within the confines of Azkaban Prison, Severus Snape found himself set free. In his confusion he had not noted the appearance of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. It appeared that the old fossil had gotten him released into his custody and relocated to Hogwarts Castle, where he was to teach Potions Class at the age of 21 following Horace Slughorn's retirement and departure from the school. His responsibilities included that he would be Head of Slytherin House.**_

 _ **The twist of fate had been something of a marvel as he thought back to his final conversation with Regulus Black about him becoming a Professor.**_

 _ **It had been a year of earning his freedom and adjusting to life as a Professor given his young age not to mention the teaching of students that had attended while he had not respecting him. He quickly erased all doubts of his capabilities and assumed full control of Slytherin with ease.**_

 _ **Dumbledore kept him on a short leash at the time and he was not permitted to leave the school.**_

 _ **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**_

 _ **The Snape Residence, North America...**_

 _ **Regulus had been three years old when his father was carted off to Azkaban. His mother had gotten pregnant during the final encounter with her husband before his sentencing. Due to the secrecy of their relationship, she had no way to contact him or to know that he yet survived his trials in the wizarding world.**_

 _ **The stress and the constant worry resulted in her suffering a miscarriage alone despite the company of her clueless son. In the absence of her husband, Elaine weathered the storm of her subsequent losses and focused on raising her living son Regulus as Severus would have wanted.**_

 _ **There were nights when Elaine would burst into tears when she believed Regulus had been out of earshot or asleep. She missed her husband terribly and while she felt sorry for The Potters the loss of the man that meant so much to her was substantial.**_

 _ **The separation was punishment for the entire family and cruel in all aspects.**_

 _ **A young Regulus Snape had been fatherless for close to three years without a word or a visit from the now infamous Potions Professor. The separation had taken it's toll on the younger Snape as he began to act out in school not at all understanding why his father left and didn't come back.**_

 _ **Unbeknownst to the boy, his father 's life had been just as empty without him and his mother.**_


	23. Chapter 22:Upping The Ante

_**Chapter 22: Upping The Ante**_

 _ **{A/N watched a bit of Alan Rickman and Adam Driver clips today...needless to say I was inspired to write some more.**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy S.S.**_

 _ **{"You made a monster of me...Through all your wicked lies...Forever tortured by you...Abandoned at death's door...Until I said no more...Don't look away...You're just a former regret of mine...And when you want, just look away...You're just a former regret of mine...Erasing now...You made a rock star of me...Gave me this wicked life...Paid to be tortured by you...A life I now abhor..."}Monster, Disturbed**_

 _Hogsmeade Village, Wizarding World..._

Bursting red-orange flames cascaded along the roof tops of shops and minor flats within the highly frequented wizarding alley. Hermione Jean Granger had escaped the flames from one of them barely out of the confines of St. Mungo's to assist Harry Potter who's youngest son might possibly have been kidnapped. The masked villain Arcturus had been in rare form but this time he appeared to be playing for keeps attempting to drop a good deal of bodies in his wake.

Screams filled the air as witches and wizards alike attempted to get out of the way of this masked dark wizard's mask. His manipulation of the very air around him and the accenting use of fire had been more than a small implication of what he had been capable of. His stunt at the Ministry of Magical offices had been well noted by the wizarding world.

"Everyone get back!" shouted Harry taking charge as he leapt into the path of the vicious Dark Wizard's assault.

Hermione blocked a few shots from the enforcers. She had managed to get quite a few people to safety while assisting Harry.

The green eyed wizard still had the unnatural habit of charging head first into battle when he knew little of the opponent. His decision to face Arcturus head on had been no different than when he decided to face off against Voldemort.

It proved to be a stupid move as Arcturus sent him flying through the Hog's Head Inn. Shattering the frames and splintering the wood that made up the old place.

Harry scrambled to his feet as splinted wood fell from his shoulder. There had been a couple of pieces lodged in his right shoulder but he ignored the pain to focus on his enemy. The force of the blast had shattered his glasses though and it made it difficult for him to see. None the less, Harry drew his wand, which he had managed to hold on to during the involuntary flight.

"You'll have to do better than that Arcturus." he said.

The ebony robed masked leader of The Serpents Brothers Of Destruction. Arcturus had seemed poised for this little contest.

"Impressive...Potter." he said seemingly amused at the petty attempt to stand against him.

"Where is my son!?" asked Harry enraged as he gripped his wand tighter.

"Someplace where you can't reach him." replied Arcturus still somewhat amused. "The great Harry Potter, defender of The Wizarding World...reduced to a blind quivering mass of useless lies and character fodder."

"Who are you?!" asked Harry narrowing his green eyes at the masked dark wizard before him. "And what is your problem with me?!"

"I am your destroyer and you...Harry Potter, are a blight upon the face of the wizarding world." replied Arcturus in an icy tone. "A blight that shall soon be corrected."

The wizard attempted to send his flaming serpent toward the seemingly defenseless Harry only to find himself thrown from his feet by a ferocious Hermione Granger.

"EXPELLIARMUS!" shouted Hermione catching the dark wizard off guard.

The force of her blast had thrown the unsuspecting Arcturus into mid-air and a good distance away from Harry.

"Hermione?" said Harry confused as he attempted to keep his guard up despite his lack of vision. "He's dangerous!"

"Tell me something I don't know." replied Hermione getting ready for another round.

She had done combat with this dark wizard before, this time she wouldn't be underestimating him.

Arcturus leapt from a tree and tackled the amber eyed witch to the ground. She had not been that much of an easy mark as she proved to have quite a few tricks up her sleeve.

"Interesting." he said amused by her toughness.

Hermione had not been above restoring to dirty tactics to ensure her own survival, a few lessons she learned from being tortured by Bellatrix LeStrange. She kneed the wizard in his groin causing him to fall backward and pounced quickly as he ended up crawling toward the trees.

"SALAZAR!" he called enraged at his minor defeat at the hands of a witch no less.

The ground began to quake and rumbling could be heard as both Harry and Hermione found themselves watching as an enormous serpent came burrowing from beneath the ground almost the size of a full grown Basilisk.

"WHAT THE HELL?" asked Harry Potter stunned by the hissing that entered it's ears.

"Bana ans." hissed the serpent as it came into view.

It had been a sleek looking thing with smooth green scales splattered with mud and dirt. It's eyes green in terms of it's outer iris and bright almost glowing yellow in terms of the outer iris. The underbelly had been tanned but near cream in color and rippled with lines possibly for speedy movements.

It moved faster than Nagini and it's great fangs were as intimidating as the Basilisk from The Chamber of Secrets back at Hogwarts Castle.

Arcturus leapt into the air and landed rather neatly upon the head of the great serpent his eyes aglow as if he and the creature had been in sync with one another.

"Face me now." said Arcturus. "With the might of a serpent at my heel you have no chance in this battle."

Hermione narrowed her amber eyes at monster behind the mask before her and Harry. He had commanded the enormous serpent to attack Harry.

"FINISH THEM SALAZAR!"hissed Arcturus.

The serpent attempted to strike only to find himself blocked in his attempts to get them. The great beating of wings had been a momentary distraction as far as the serpent had been concerned. It proved to be a big distraction as Hermione took her eyes off the battle and had been treated to the sight of Icarus giving off a shrill call.

"ICARUS!" she said pleased to see the enormous Thunderbird.

"Friend of yours?" asked Harry confused as he gripped his wand aiming for the enormous shape in front of him.

"You could say that." replied Hermione grabbing the temporarily blinded Harry Potter and dragging him into the path of the Thunderbird. "Icarus...this is Harry...he needs help...he's a friend."

The Thunderbird beat it's wings and lowered himself so that both Hermione and Harry Potter could climb onto it's back. Hermione held on tight to the Harry as Icarus let off a blast that shocked most of the S.B.D and caused them all to flee.

Arcturus had barely managed to escape as he and his serpent Salazar retreated from Hogsmeade Village.

The Thunderbird took off toward Cokeworth, England reasoning that Regulus would know what to do about the wounded.

It had been a wonder the young witch was able to summon it, her attachment to Regulus had to have been extreme to attempt to do so.


	24. Chapter 23: Nature VS Nurture

_**Chapter 23: Nature V.S. Nurture**_

 _ **{A/N Late Post...hopefully it makes sense...}**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy S.S.**_

 _ **Unknown Location, Unknown World...(1981)**_

 _ **I**_ _ **ce and snow surrounded the home of a boy thin to the point of seeing his ribs through his ghastly pale flesh and his clothes were as thin as rags not much different than a brown potato sack as he scurried without shoes along the cold stone floor of his father's quarters. His face was a thin as that of a common rat plaguing the streets but his nose had been about the largest thing on his battered and bruised little body.**_

 _ **His raven hair had been lank and covered his face as he did his best to keep the quarters tidy despite his trembling hands weak from hunger and exhaustion. His father had hated it when he was being lazy, sleeping was for the weak. He had not wanted to be considered weak again or else he would receive more lashes. His tiny pale back had been riddled with scars, a constant reminder to his numerous mistakes and how his father would make him pay.**_

 _ **As the boy scrambled to keep the quarters clean for the impatient and vicious Headmaster, the door opened and fear filled him once more.**_

 _ **The imposing figure known as Igor Karkaroff entered the room his narrowed dark eyes and grim expression only reinforced what the boy already knew.**_

 _ **Without a word Igor struck him across the face. A silent cry fell from his small pale lips and he scrambled up off the floor as another blow came crashing against his face, heating his chilled flesh in the wake of the impact.**_

 _ **"STUPID USELESS LITTLE WORM!" shouted Igor angrily. "Just who in the fuck do you think you are?"**_

 _ **The trembling boy could tell that Igor had been drunk. The glaze look behind his cold dark eyes indicated as much. It made no difference wither the brute had been drunk or otherwise. Igor always seemed to find fault with him.**_

 _ **"Failure is not to be tolerated!" shouted Igor angrily. "How many times do I have to tell you before you get it right?"**_

 _ **The boy had not been given a chance to answer before he felt the magical lash upon his formerly young skin.**_

 _ **"What have I told you about weakness in my presence?" huffed a furious Igor with his eyes blazing.**_

 _ **"N-Never show weakness in your presence." said the stammering wounded boy.**_

 _ **Igor struck him again.**_

 _ **"See that you never forget it." he said cruelly.**_

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 _Unknown Location, Unknown World..._

The charismatic and insane masked leader of The notorious S.B.D glared rather murderously as he stormed the throne room of his hideout. He smashed walls and broke everything in his path as his temper only seemed to worsen. In an instant he murdered two of his followers due to their numerous failures.

The rest of his group looked on in absolute terror as flames radiated off his ebony clad form in droves. The scene had been a good indicator of what was brewing well within the confines of the masked monster's heart as he glared murderously at them.

"Failure is not to be tolerated!" said Arcturus in a chilling tone. "It's time we brought the wizarding world to it's knees...get me Harry Potter."

Without hesitation his masked fellows did as they were told and he turned his attention to a nearby fireplace. He would have his revenge upon the enemies of Severus Snape and he would start with Harry Potter.

Throwing a bottle into the fireplace, he watched as the flames rose devouring everything in their path. A dark cloud was on the horizon. He would have his vengeance and those closest to Harry Potter, those that protected him, those that lied for him would find themselves in a world of agony that they couldn't escaped with all the magic they could muster.

Arcturus tightened his fist as it bled from the cut of the shattered glass that he broke within his grasp. He aimed to make what Voldemort did to the wizarding world mere child's play within the minds of the survivors.

Failure was not to be tolerated.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

 _Open Sky..._

The great beating wings of Icarus had been the only sound aside from the rumble of thunder that Harry Potter and Hermione Granger could make out as they were flown to the muggle world far from the threat of the S.B.D.

Neither of them had been accustomed to visiting the former home of their deceased former Potions Professor and due to this had no idea where they were headed. The injuries sustained while doing battle with Arcturus had been in need of tending and it was good to get some distance from their enemies.

Hermione found herself in quite for quite the shock as they landed in Spinner's End before a dilapidated brick house.

Icarus let out a shrill call and the door to the last house on the seemingly abandoned street opened revealing an eleven year old boy with emerald green eyes.

"ALBUS SEVERUS!" shouted Hermione stunned to find her nephew in this strange location.

The green eyed younger wizard simply assisted the two of them as they entered the home of Severus Snape.

Harry Potter could not see for lack of visibility given his cracked glasses but he caught the scent of herbs and fresh earth that had been quite familiar.

"Snape." he said confused. "We're at Snape's home then?"

"Yes." replied Hermione. "And Albus Severus seemed to have been here all along."

"What?" asked Harry stunned. "W-Why would he come here?"

The three of them continued into the house noting the massive shelves of books that lined the walls. Old leather had been the most dominating scent the further they went inside followed by dust and sweat.

Hermione had been the first to notice that Regulus had been passed out on the threadbare sofa near the fireplace.

"Regulus?" she said confused as she further ventured into the sitting room.

"He's asleep." said Albus Severus without emotion. "He was having too many night terrors and needed the rest."

Hermione loosed at the boy with a confused expression on her face. She drew her wand and with a quick spell roused the raven haired wizard.

He groaned and began to shake the fog from his head.

"That little imp is..." he began trying to compose himself. "What the hell are you two doing here?"

"Icarus saved us from Arcturus." explained Hermione. "This is where you live?"

"Icarus?" asked Regulus getting to his feet and enduring a wave of dizziness. "What was Icarus doing being summoned into a battle and who the hell is Arcturus?"

"He's the leader of The Serpent Brother's Of Destruction." replied Harry still doubled over in pain.

As he talked Albus Severus healed both him and Hermione.

The witch had been stunned the boy knew such advanced healing spells, but didn't say much given she had been an avid student as well...but he seemed to have perfected his charms while practicing underage magic.

Hermione took the time to repair Harry's glasses as usual.

Regulus rolled his eyes as he met Harry's emerald green eyes.

"Great you're all healed not take the imp and leave I've got pressing business." he muttered before getting back to lying on the sofa.

"I wish you'd reconsider your opposition of Harry." said the amber eyed witch sadly. "He's always felt terrible about what happened to your father and would like to get to know you."

"Not interested." replied Regulus coldly. "You can see yourselves out."

Harry signed.

He had not known what Snape's absence had done to Regulus but he had not known a thing about it...he believed Snape to have been his most hated enemy during his time at Hogwarts.

"Sooner or later you're going to have to stop blaming me." said Harry sadly. "I never wanted..."

"DO NOT LIE TO ME!" said Regulus showing a hint of fury that seemed to intensify as he leapt from the sofa and instantly found himself in front of a stunned Harry Potter.

It oddly reminded the former Gryffindor wizard of the Potions Professor during the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

"I know you wished him dead." hissed Regulus bitterly. "You wanted it almost as much as you wanted Voldemort gone...but it was my dad you hated most...you sicken me standing here like you're so sympathetic and understanding...you geeky little shit you have no idea what he sacrificed to keep you from harms way...you have no idea what it's like to know that your father died hated by the entire world...alone and forgotten because he wasn't your precious Godfather."

"That's enough." said Hermione getting in the middle as Regulus' eyes blazed with fury. "It seems you have somethings to work out...and we should be going any way."

"By all means." replied Regulus bitterly.

Hermione pulled Harry always from Regulus and dragged Albus Severus along. They would sort out the business of him being at Spinner's End later.

No sooner had they left, Regulus encompassed by fury began to destroy his father's sitting room in the wake of his rage. When the furniture was toppled and the he was drenched in sweat in the wake of his fury, He shattered a wayward glass cutting his hand in the process.


	25. Chapter 24:Young And Reckless

_**Chapter 24: Young And Reckless**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S**_

 _ **{"Once I was seven years old my momma told me...Go make yourself some friends or you'll be lonely...Once I was seven years old...It was a big big world, but we thought we were bigger...Pushing each other to the limits, we were learning quicker...By eleven smoking herb and drinking burning liquor...Never rich so we were out to make that steady figure...Once I was eleven years old my daddy told me...Go get yourself a wife or you'll be lonely..."}7 Years Old, Lukas Graham**_

 _ **The Snape Residence, North America, Unknown World...**_

 _ **The sky had been dark and the stars hung high above a small boy of seven as if they had been diamonds against black velvet. The obsidian eyes of the seven year old had been focused on the large black cloud of thick smoke headed toward their front yard. As he watched the cloud get closer and closer he remained in the front yard. No fear filled him as he watched the cloud land just outside the small gray fence that lined the property.**_

 _ **The smoke faded revealing a tall man wearing ebony teaching robes and black dragon hide boots. His hair had been lengthy going to his shoulders but his face had been covered by what appeared to be an unkempt beard.**_

 _ **His eyes had been as if they had seen life for a thousand years as he neared the seemingly frozen seven year old boy who's heart was beating wildly in his tiny chest. The horribly aged man's sorrowful obsidian eyes met those of the boy and the stranger's identity clicked.**_

 _ **"Papa!?" he said racing over toward The newest named Potions Professor of Hogwarts Castle.**_

 _ **Severus looked down at the boy whom he had gone through great lengths to keep safe. He had been so innocent, so pure despite the darkness from his father and it made all the difference when he'd become a full grown wizard.**_

 _ **"Regulus." said Snape reaching down and scooping the little wizard into his ebony clad arms.**_

 _ **The three years he spent wondering if they'd been safe in the wake of his absence were almost maddening and often contributed to his increasingly short temper in the wake of dealing with everyone else that required his company or assistance.**_

 _ **Regulus hugged him as if it had been for dear life.**_

 _ **"Where have you been Papa?" he asked narrowing his eyes at the grief aged wizard.**_

 _ **"Hogwarts." replied Snape honestly.**_

 _ **Of course he left out the bit about him being imprisoned.**_

 _ **Regulus nodded and took Snape by the hand. He led his father into the house where his heartbroken mother had been busily scrubbing dinner dishes and staring out into space with her mind trying to understand the absence of her beloved husband.**_

 _ **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**_

 _ **The Kitchen, The Snape Residence, North America, Unknown World...**_

 _ **Elaine had been lost in her thoughts of the possible fate of her husband when she suddenly felt his arms wrap around her waist and his kiss upon the exposed portion of her neck. Regulus had been amused as his mother reacted to the rough beard that had seemingly dominated her husband's sallow pale face.**_

 _ **"My word..." she said turning around to face him. "Severus...where have you been...what's happened to you?"**_

 _ **Snape made note of her being privy to his apparent rapid aging and the beard. While the aging she could deal with the beard was something she apparently would not be willing to accept.**_

 _ **"I'm home." he replied softly. "That is all that matters."**_

 _ **The two of them shared an emotionally charged kiss and Elaine immediately snapped back into getting on with her wifely duties.**_

 _ **"You look positively famished." she said leading him by the hand toward the table. "Sit...I'll get your dinner."**_

 _ **"That's not..." he began but noted the disappointment behind her eyes. "That will be much appreciated."**_

 _ **Elaine smiled for the first time since he had been gone. Regulus was pleased to see his mother had returned to her usual happy self. He turned his attention to setting up the table for his father and pulled up a chair beside him.**_

 _ **"He's gone isn't he?" he asked meeting his father's rather serious gaze.**_

 _ **Snape nodded not at all wishing to dwell on the out come of the first wizarding war.**_

 _ **"Yes, Little Prince." he replied. "The Dark Lord is gone...but with him he took a good deal of people who did not deserve to be gone."**_

 _ **"I'm sorry you're sad Papa." said the boy taking his father's hand.**_

 _ **Snape sighed.**_

 _ **"And I apologize for yours and your mother's sadness." he said tussling his only son's raven hair. "Have you been studying your tomes?"**_

 _ **Regulus smiled.**_

 _ **"Yes Papa." he replied.**_

 _ **"Good." replied Snape. "Your father is a Professor at a prestigious Magical school it wouldn't do for you not to be on par with my own students in terms of magical study."**_

 _ **"Papa...can I go to Hogwarts when I become eleven?" asked Regulus. "That way I can see you all the time and Mother wouldn't need to worry about either of us."**_

 _ **Snape sighed once more.**_

 _ **"I'm afraid that isn't possible." he replied. "You live here in America so you are to attend Ilvermorny."**_

 _ **It was little Regulus' turn to sigh.**_

 _ **Snape smiled at him.**_

 _ **"Consider yourself fortunate that you are not going to become one of my students, I will be giving you enough direction in terms of your magical education, After all I am your father." he said.**_

 _ **Regulus seemed to perk up at this.**_

 _ **Elaine returned with a shaving kit, Severus Snape's shaving kit to be exact. He had never truly gotten the hand of shaving himself and so the burden of keeping him at least halfway presentable was her doing.**_

 _ **"Before you eat let's make sure you can get through your meal without unruly hairs falling in." said The young wife of Severus Snape.**_

 _ **She had been a beautiful to him as the day he married her, their initial meeting not withstanding. She had only been twenty three but aged to that of quite the mature woman in the short span of three years.**_

 _ **Severus himself was twenty four but looked to be nearing fifty given the grief he'd suffered through following Lily Potter's murder at the hands of the dark lord.**_

 _ **Little Regulus watched his parents as his mother shaved his father's fearsome beard and dried his sallow pale face. To on lookers it would have been nothing more than a tedious task and it certainly looked that way to a seven year old boy but in the precious few minutes that Elaine had shaved Severus Snape's face, there was understanding that passed between them so profound that there had been no need for words.**_

 _ **Once she had his face completely bare she found herself stroking his cheeks as his intense gaze never left her as she moved about. After a long silence and no movement, Severus Snape stood up following his wife's completion of her task and pulled her into his embrace.**_

 _ **Their lips crashed together like ships cast adrift in a raging tide. Elaine smiled as she noted a glimpse of the unsure boy she had married behind the sorrowful man that had taken his place for the passed three years.**_

 _ **Happy tears streamed down the cheeks of Regulus' mother as his father wiped them away.**_

 _ **"Forgive me." he said noting that he had hurt her tremendously.**_

 _ **"Always." replied Elaine without hesitation.**_

 _ **RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR**_

 _Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World..._

Regulus made his way down the familiar darkened alley as he found himself back to the local pub and drowning his sorrows in a bottle of booze. The memories were always so vivid and brutal during this time of the year. Nineteen years ago he had to face the loss of his father despite the taunting and bitterness that accompanied the knowledge of the fact.

He had been twenty two when his father was declared dead. A fact her learned from his mother given all the misinformation he had to sift through in terms of his birth and what truly went on between her and his father following the drunken wizard's reveal of their union being due to him being her death eater captor.

The younger Snape had been told that his father refused to give him the name Snape, a way to keep the trail to him cold and instead signed his birth certificate as Sebastian Prince. The clever combining of his father's middle name as well as his paternal grandmother's maiden name.

Effectively he was born, Regulus S. Prince.

Drinking down another bottle of whiskey given his mind's replaying of lie after lie told to him since he had taken his first breath in contrast to the life his father and mother had given him in the wake of his twin brother's loss.

That had always bothered him as well.

He had known next to nothing about his twin brother aside from that he had been born and had appeared to be smaller than he was and it possibly contributed to his death. There was a lot of self loathing to go around given the family bloodline and the apparent murder of his twin due to taking up all of the nutrients in the womb had contributed to a good deal of Regulus' issues during his youth.

Like his father before him, he blamed himself for his brother's passing despite not being even aware that he had one to begin with and too like Severus Snape,young Regulus sought answers in the bottom of a bottle.


	26. Chapter 25:Hazard Of A Fool

_**Chapter 25: Hazard Of A Fool**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S**_

 _ **{"Lost it on the chesterfield...Or maybe on...A gamblin' wheel...Lost it in a diamond mine...It's dark as hell...And hard to find...You can climb to the...Top of the highest tree...You can look around...But you still won't see...What I'm lookin' for...Where the good times gone?...Where the good times gone?...All the stupid fun...And all that shit we've done...Where the good times gone?...Well I still don't know..."}Good Times Gone, Nickelback**_

 _Back Of A Pub, Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World..._

 _ **T**_ he stumbling form of Lucius Abraxas Malfoy had been tossed into a nearby stone wall. He had his fill of drink before a group of would be defenders of the wizarding world decided to show up and give him a hard time about his former death eater status. One of the assailants spat some rubbish about having suffered unimaginable horrors in the wake of the Death eaters assaulting their family.

Lucius had only been interested in his drink and wanted no trouble. He had had enough trouble given how things turned out. He barely survived the second wizarding war after becoming the prime target of his former master. It had not been a secret that he would have died in Azkaban if it had not been for Severus.

The anguish that filled him from the moment the news fell from the lips of the brat Harry Potter, Severus Snape was murdered by the so called "dark lord" Voldemort. Severus had done the impossible once Potter stood victorious and the ashes of Voldemort blew away in the wind. The tears streamed down the ghastly pale cheeks of Lucius even before the dust settled.

His home was in tatters but it was intact.

His wife was shaken but not violated due to the efforts of her overprotective sister and Severus.

His son was forever changed in the wake of the tragedies finding strength unheard of to openly defy the dark lord at the height of his power and aided Potter in ending the madness once and for all.

Severus would have been proud of him.

Lucius certainly was but the lingering truth kept them all silent in their grief. Had Severus not chosen to die in his child's place, it would have been Draco's grave they would have been visiting in the wake of the final battle.

Finding himself drowning in his own guilt given his "brothers" had both given their life for him and his family, Lucius looked for answers in the bottom of the bottle more often than not.

At the present moment, Lucius felt the stinging blow shoot across his cheek as he stumbled backwards into the cold stone wall once more.

He had not known how long he had been dazed as a younger wizard with raven hair, pale flesh and enraged obsidian eyes came jumping into the fray.

"You look like you can use some assistance, Uncle Lucius." said the voice of a drunken Regulus Snape.

A small smile filed across Lucius face it was strange to see the boy his little brother left behind despite all the secrets and the pressing business of the war, Severus Snape had managed to sire a child.

"Much appreciated nephew." replied Lucius getting to his feet with his resolve strengthened as both he and Severus Snape's grown son proceeded to teach these rude fellows a lesson in manners.

The fight had been over rather quickly with both well trained wizards dropping the ambitious attackers on their backs and making their way out of the alley.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

 _Open field, Wizarding World..._

Regulus smirked at Lucius as the two drunken wizard's landed in the center of a vast and open field. They had taken turns vomiting given how quickly they traveled after ingesting much too much alcohol.

Lucius laughed recalling how he and Severus would get into trouble during their younger days.

"What's so funny?" asked Regulus with a serious expression filed across his pale face.

This only seemed to amuse the Senior Malfoy all the more.

"I-I apologize if you've taken offense...it's just...you have no idea how much you remind me of your father at your age." replied Lucius amused. "He and I use to get into more than our fair share of scraps here and there...and what you and I just did was the two of us on a good day."

Regulus shook his head.

"You are one strange old man." he said. "Good looking by all acounts but strange."

Lucius couldn't help but chuckle at this.

"I swear it's as if I was looking through a time portal." he replied.

"I wouldn't doubt it." said Regulus. "I suppose it's worth mentioning that me and dear ol' dad didn't end things on a very positive note."

Lucius nodded turning serious for the first time since they landed.

"That was Severus for you." he replied suddenly seeming like an exhausted old man in place of a rowdy teen age wizard. "He kept everyone at a distance given his upbringing it was a wonder he learned to love or trust at all."

"His upbringing?" asked Regulus inquisitive in his own right.

"What you thought he was born a stone faced arse with an attitude problem?" asked The Senior Malfoy. "There is truly so much about your father that you still do not know isn't there boy?"

The raven haired wizard sighed then nodded in response.

"It wasn't like he was the kind of dude that spoke about himself all the time." replied Regulus.

Lucius had been puzzled by the son of his little brother's strange accent.

"So he hid you in America."he said observing the younger wizard.

"Yeah." replied Regulus massaging his bruised knuckles. "The place must have had charm otherwise I would have been walking about being prim and proper."

"No one even suspected...it would have cost a good deal of coin to..." began Lucius with a grin. "Of course."

The younger wizard looked at him puzzled himself for the first time in a long time.

"Of course what?" he asked.

"I paid for it." replied Lucius. "My families horded galleons paid for your mother and you to have safe passage into America not to mention the house and minor expenses."

"What do you mean?" replied Regulus with an arched brow.

"Your father...never leaving anything to chance." said Lucius albeit bitterly. "He must have wiped my memories of you and your mother in a bid to keep you both safe from the dark lord."

"I recall you saying something about that before." said Regulus kneeling down a plucking a bit of the grass from the ground.

"It is, true." said Lucius looking the boy over. "Although I admit to being in a state of shock when you first arrived."

"Understandable." replied Regulus standing up and reaching into his pocket.

He pulled out a cigarette and attempted to put it to his lips before Lucius seemed to transmit a silent spell incinerating it before he got the chance to taste it.

"Hey what the fuck?" said Regulus in shock.

"Those things cause cancer you know." said Lucius in a charming yet causal tone. "No nephew of mine is going to end up some cancer ridden husk due to those things."

"It's not like I'm five Uncle Lucius." replied Regulus bitterly. "I can take care of myself...been doing it for nineteen years."

The gray eyed wizard looked the rugged looking boy up and down before smirking rather wickedly.

"If this is what you call taking care of yourself then I'd hate to see what neglect looks like from your point of view." he replied.

"So now you're a comedian." said Regulus rolling his eyes.

"From time to time." replied Lucius. "Listen boy, my family home is west of here and I would love for you to meet my wife and my son...be warned...it's been quite difficult for my family since the war's end and we are still mourning the loss of your father after all...he was very dear to us."

"I'll think about it." replied Regulus.

"No time like the present." replied Lucius. "Besides what have you got to loose?"

The raven haired wizard sighed meeting his uncle's gray eyes.

"I guess nothing, except my life and let me tell you it's not that great to begin with." he replied.

Lucius laughed at this putting a hand on the younger wizard's surprisingly broad shoulder.

"You are indeed Severus' boy." he said seemingly proud.

The two wizards disapparated from the field bound for Malfoy Manor.


	27. Chapter 26:The Bonds Of Family

_**Chapter 26: The Bonds Of Family**_

 _ **{A/N: Here's Another Update...Lack of sleep and constant moving has contributed to quite a few delays but none the less...I've managed to come up with something...}**_

 _ **{"...Something about that glory just always seemed to bore me...'Cause only those I really love will ever really know me...Once I was twenty years old, my story got told...Before the morning sun, when life was lonely...Once I was twenty years old...I only see my goals, I don't believe in failure...'Cause I know the smallest voices, they can make it major...I got my boys with me at least those in favor...And if we don't meet before I leave, I hope I'll see you later...} 7 Years Old, Lukas Graham**_

 **My Thanks To All My Reader And Reviewers...enjoy S.S.**

 ** _The Grounds, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World..._**

 **Lucius Abraxas Malfoy had been watching the new Slytherins like a hawk given it was his job as Prefect. He had not noted any with very much appeal until his seemingly intelligent gray eyes noted a frail looking lad with raven hair and sorrowful eyes of obsidian. The charming teen wizard had liked the look of the boy whom had not been much of anything given his appearance but there seemed to be a good deal more to him than anyone would have believed.**

 **Never on for associating with anyone else often, Lucius had commanded the respect of his Slytherin peers given his status as one of the most wealthy and influential wizards despite his young age and not to mention his line had come from the sacred twenty eight.**

 **His opinion was highly respected among the other Slytherin students despite his lack of association. His original assumption of the young wizard's greatness had been proven when the sorting hat placed him in Slytherin house before all of Hogwarts.**

 **Not long after that Lucius had been witness to what he would later come to know as "The Marauders" attacking the young boy and casting him into the lake. The boy evidently could not swim and without a single thought to the contrary the handsome young Prefect discarded his robes and leapt into the water.**

 **He pulled the young wizard from the murky depths and onto the grounds. His obsidian eyes filled with fear and self loathing had somehow only made Lucius care for him all the more.**

 **"T-Thank you for saving my life, Sir." young Severus said.**

 **"There is no need for that trivial formalities, we Slytherins have to look out for one another." said Lucius with a charming smile. "Come along Little Brother...I imagine you are quite famished by now."**

 **Young Severus looked up at Lucius with a strange expression filed across his sallow pale face. No one had ever wanted to be associated with him before. Let alone a notoriously wealthy _Pureblood_ wizard like Lucius Malfoy.**

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Front Entrance, Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World...

Lucius Malfoy stood with the only living son of Severus Snape as they entered Malfoy Manor. The boy had been seemingly impressed with the magnitude of Malfoy Manor despite it not at all being anywhere near it's former prominence as it had before the second wizarding war. In fact it was quite gray and grim much as it had been when the despot Voldemort entered the manor and imprinted his taint of death and soullessness into the very walls.

"Welcome home." said the Senior Malfoy pleased for the first time in nineteen years to welcome his young nephew into the family fold.

Regulus had his hands in his pockets as he looked around the place. He noted the seemingly antique furniture and the eerie quiet that filled the place. It was exactly the kind of place his father would have been hold up in there was no doubt about that.

"I'm assuming it looked better back in the day." he said.

Lucius chuckled.

"Such cynical wit, like your father." he said evidently pleased. "To answer your non question, yes it looked vastly better than it does at this point but due to our funds being drained by the dark lord and the lack of resources given to former death eaters without employ, we simply make due."

Regulus nodded.

He knew all too well that death eaters were not treated kindly since Voldemort's second fall. The stigma still remained from the war even for those whom had defected. The news of The Malfoy families suffering only increased in a bid to put a scare in others whom had not gone to Azkaban but hid in the wake of the war.

"Ain't right what they did to you all." said the raven haired wizard.

He continued to look around before he caught sight of an older woman with graying hair and sorrowful eyes.

"Narcissa." said Lucius meeting the gaze of his long suffering wife.

"I-I believed you'd be dead this time." she said in a shaken tone. "You know how I worry when you are away too long..."

Her sorrowful eyes fell upon Regulus and without another word she swiftly walked over toward him placing a trembling hand upon his paled cheek and meeting his obsidian gaze with tears streaming down her own ghastly pale cheek.

"S-Severus?" she said confused as she looked over the younger raven haired wizard.

"Cissy, this is...Regulus." The Senior Malfoy attempted to explain.

"R-Regulus?" she said pausing at the mention of her long deceased cousin's name.

"Regulus Prince." said the obsidian eyed wizard noting her familiarity with his first name. "My father named me after..."

"My cousin." replied Narcissa stunned by the revelation of this boy being the son of Severus Snape. "S-Severus had a child?"

She looked up at Lucius.

"Apparently, he had impregnated one of the girls from the revel and spared her life." explained Lucius. "He kept her and the boy hidden in North America for the duration of both wars."

"B-But why didn't he tell us...why did he not mention...?" she suddenly froze. "Draco."

Narcissa burst into tears as she recalled what she had asked of her dearest friend.

Regulus looked at her more than a bit confused.

"Who's Draco?" He asked.

"Our son, and your father's godson." said Lucius. "Your father made an unbreakable vow to save his life and that of Potter's."

Regulus felt a surge of rage fill him.

"Explains why he left us." he said almost bitterly. "I mean dying for Draco I get but Geek boy...didn't he have enough loyal followers worshiping at his feet...did he really need my father too?"

The Senior Malfoy sighed.

"I believe it was a bit more complicated than that..." he said not sure of the whole ordeal himself.

"Doesn't matter." replied Regulus with his fists balled in frustration. "Evidently he cared more for that geeky bastard than me."

Narcissa could see the pain behind the younger wizard's eyes.

"Why'd he give you the last name Prince?" she asked. "And what of your mother...does she yet live?"

Regulus sighed not at all wishing to discuss his mother with anyone.

"So much like Severus." said Lucius with a smile. "It took time for him to open up to either of us also."

Regulus had been surprised by this.

"Y-You mean...he didn't tell you much about his life either?" he asked curious.

Narcissa sighed this time.

"Severus was quite the closed book mostly...unless he loved and trusted you enough to say what he needed to say." she said. "He had been hurt quite a bit and found trust to be hard to come by...whatever his reasons for helping Harry Potter, they were not a reflection of his caring for that boy any more than he cared for you but quite possibly a reflection of it."

Regulus had not thought of it that way and it was good to have some kind of perspective.

"He said he gave me his mother's last name so that I would never need to suffer the stigma of being the related to Tobias as he had." replied the raven haired wizard. "As for my mother...she passed away some weeks ago...couldn't get over the old man's death I suppose."

Narcissa wrapped her arms around the young wizard.

"Well...we have indeed suffered a good bit of tragedy in these nineteen years...but the important thing is that you found your home...and your true family." she said spoken every bit like an experienced mother.

Lucius placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"As I said before, welcome home...son." he said with a serious expression filed across his pale face.

Regulus nodded in agreement. Perhaps this family, his father's family was whom he had been meant to find.


	28. Chapter 27:The More Things Change

_**Chapter 27: The More Things Change**_

 _ **{A/N: Here's Another Update...}**_

 _ **{"I believe I can see the future...'Cause I repeat the same routine...I think I used to have a purpose...But then again, that might have been a dream...I think I used to have a voice...Now I never make a sound...I just do what I've been told...I really don't want them to come around, oh no...Every day is exactly the same...Every day is exactly the same...There is no love here and there is no pain...Every day is exactly the same..."}Everyday Is Exactly The Same, Nine Inch Nails**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Reader And Reviewers...enjoy S.S.**_

 _Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World..._

 **T** he silvery gray eyes of Draco Lucius Malfoy had been teeming with sorrow and regret had been firmly etched across his ghastly pale face. While his notoriously platinum blond hair had grown out over the years he had done his best to keep it trimmed shorter than that of his disgraced father's.

The end of the war had seen to Draco Malfoy and his family being shoved at the bottom of the food chain while those like the Weasley family had been elevated in status. It had done little to change the new wizard Draco had become following the events of the second wizarding war. He had managed to get a cushy desk pushing means of employment and a "Medal of Merlin" considering his bravery in standing up to the despot before everyone during the battle of Hogwarts.

He and his parents were given a pardon and returned to Malfoy Manor to live as powerless citizens for the remainder of their years.

Not a day had gone by that Draco didn't knew full well that the reason he yet drew breath was because of his fallen godfather, Severus Snape.

The dour wizard formerly of Hogwarts had taken his death at the end of Voldemort's wand and his punishment concerning the death of Albus Dumbledore. With the looming knowledge never far from his mind, the once spoiled Pureblood of Slytherin House had lost all interest in his former ambitions and promptly settled down with an unassuming witch and they had a child.

A son, Scorpius Malfoy.

The last few years leading up to when Scorpius would attend Hogwarts in this new peaceful world so far from the one marred by the chaos of the wizarding wars and the darkened might of Voldemort, his mother passed away leaving Draco the sole parent in the care of his only son.

The misery aged wizard had been dressed in his best suit, not so unlike the old days it had been black with little to no resemblance of a Slytherin house emblem like his father's more sophisticated attire. His dress shoes had been black as well and heavily polished and clicked against the ground as he walked.

He had been well on his way back to his simple and modestly decorated home when he was greeted rather harshly by unwanted company.

Before the Junior Malfoy knew it he was flung into a nearby brick wall with a very angry and violent Harry Potter moving toward him with his wand drawn.

"You've finally gone too far Malfoy!" said Harry with rage in his tone. "Attacking The Ministry of Magic...attacking Hermione!?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Potter." said Draco rolling his eyes. "Your ceaseless quest to blame me for any and everything wrong is not only petty but childish...I have more impressive things to hold my time and you are not one of them."

"Liar!" shouted Harry. "You think I'd be stupid enough not believe all this Pro-Snape propaganda has everything to do with you Malfoy or should I say Arcturus...given it's your fallen cousin's name...Regulus Black."

"I never knew the man." replied Draco in a bored tone. "And unlike my father you can't hold a thing over my head to get me to play along to this...I have a life unlike you despite my uncle losing his to ensure your victory all you've managed to do was stave off the inevitable."

"What's that suppose to mean?" asked Harry glaring murderously at the Junior Malfoy.

"Apparently you've pissed off someone very powerful and they see it as their personal mission to destroy you." said Draco with a smirk. "I can't say as I disagree with their logic concerning you Potter but I'll not be privy to another war during my son's life time."

"Your son?" asked The emerald green eyed wizard.

"That's right, Potter." replied Draco still with a smug expression. "I...too am a father, and it is that very reason alone that I don't wipe the alleyway with your carcass."

"Just you try it Malfoy." said Harry aiming his wand at Draco's face.

The aged Junior Malfoy had not even bothered to defend himself.

"HARRY STOP IT!" came the voice of Hermione Granger-Weasley as she approached her friend .

She had made it her mission to stop him before he did anything to hurt Draco without actual proof that the former Slytherin had done anything along the lines of lead the S.B.D.

"Mione go home." said Harry in a gruff tone.

"Harry, this isn't Hogwarts...Draco is a private citizen of the wizarding world." reasoned Hermione.

"I don't trust Malfoy." said Harry not taking his eyes or his wand off the seemingly oblivious Draco.

"He really needs to seek professional help." said Draco calmly. "He lives in the past far too much."

"That's not a half bad idea." replied Hermione in agreement.

"Are you kidding me?" asked Harry turning his attention to Hermione. "You're siding with Malfoy?"

"I'm not siding with anyone, it's simply a matter of right and wrong." replied the amber eyed witch. "Didn't you attack Lucius believing him to have ties to the S.B.D. and found him innocent?"

Draco narrowed his gray eyes.

"What the hell is she talking about?"he asked showing his rage for the first time. "WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO MY FATHER!?"

The junior Malfoy suddenly summoned his wand and turned the tables on Harry Potter slamming him into the brick wall.

"SO HELP ME POTTER, IF YOU'VE DONE ANYTHING TO MY FATHER I'LL FUCKING FINISH WHAT VOLDEMORT STARTED NINETEEN YEARS AGO!" said a furious Draco.

"Calm down." said Hermione trying to reason with him.

"How about we pay a visit to Mummy and Daddy." replied Harry gripping his wand. "I'm sure you can explain to them why all of you are on the fast track to Azkaban."

Before Hermione could interject further, Harry and Draco apparated to Malfoy Manor. She sighed noting the obvious immaturity on the part of her best friend and apparated to Malfoy Manor as well.


	29. Chapter 28:Bitter Rivals

_**Chapter 28: Bitter Rivals**_

 _ **{A/N: Here's Another Update...}**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.**_

 _Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World..._

 **T** wo loud cracks of thunder filled the air as both Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy landed on the Malfoy family estate still gripping each other's collars as well as their respective wands. Draco had a look of murder in his eyes as he tried to decipher what Harry had done to his family and his apparent plot to place them in Azkaban despite their efforts in saving his miserable life during the second wizarding war.

The crashing of their newly arrived bodies, got the attention of Lucius and Regulus whom had come rushing out of the manor followed by Narcissa Malfoy whom had been surprised to see her son and Harry Potter of all people locked in what appeared to be combat.

"Draco!" shouted Narcissa upset about what was happening to her son.

Harry had been about to fire off a spell when he found himself sailing through the air a few feet away from Draco. The Junior Malfoy looked up confused and then quite terrified as a younger version of his deceased godfather arrived in time to stop Potter.

"S-Snape?" he said scrambling to his feet with a look of sorrow filed across his face.

Regulus said nothing as he glared at Harry Potter.

"No." he said. "I'm his kid."

"Kid?" asked Draco not at all understanding why this younger version of his godfather had a North American accent.

"He's Severus' son." replied Lucius looking over the Junior Malfoy. "As much as you are mine."

Draco could hardly believe what he was being told despite the proof right before him.

"Uncle Severus had a child?" he said completely blown away by this news. "A son?"

Narcissa nodded.

"It's true." she said being honest with her son. "He kept Regulus and his mother hidden in North America during the war."

Draco's gray eyes widened in recognition of the name.

"Regulus?" he said meeting the obsidian gaze of Regulus before he turned his attention back to Potter.

Harry shook off his dizziness and got to his knees.

"What did you go and do that for?" he asked glaring up at Regulus.

"You've got some nerve geek boy." replied Regulus.

"I'm in the middle of an investigation." said Harry in his own defense.

At that moment Hermione Granger-Weasley appeared and rushed over toward both Draco and Regulus.

"What's happened?" she asked.

"Potter's lost his bloody mind." replied Draco. "Going so far as to frame me and my parents."

Hermione looked over at Harry.

"I told you not to go after Draco without sufficient evidence." she said. "I should have known your old prejudices would get in the way."

"Malfoy is a swine." replied Harry glaring at the Junior Malfoy with his emerald eyes filled with hate.

"Same could be said about you Potter." replied Regulus glaring just as murderously.

"I never tried to kill Katie Bell or hunt Muggle-Borns." Harry fired back.

"But you hexed Draco just the same in the boys bathroom at Hogwarts and then tried to again without any knowledge of guilt." said Regulus with his obsidian gaze never leaving the green eyed wizard.

"I was right about him before." insisted Harry. "He did hex Katie Bell."

"Believe what you want Potter, but I am not going to let you threaten my family any longer." said Draco gripping his wand.

"No Draco." said Narcissa.

"He's threatened to put us all in Azkaban just because we loved Uncle Severus." said Draco glaring at Harry. "I don't know who the hell these new fanatics are but it's becoming increasingly hard to deny that they may be on to something with the wizarding world's treatment of Severus Snape...somebody out there want's justice and I say let him have it."

"See." said Harry glaring at Draco. "He'll jump at the chance to spread their propaganda...once a death eater always a death eater."

"I take it that's your opinion of my dad as well." said Regulus seemingly unimpressed by Harry's words.

"Snape's different." said the green eyed wizard.

"Allow me to offer another turn of phrase then." said Lucius. "Once an idiot boy always an idiot boy."

"What's that suppose to mean?" asked Harry bitterly.

"It means, idiot boys like you never truly grow up." replied Draco just as bitterly.

"Charging after a Malfoy without proof again Geek Boy?" asked Regulus with his arms folded across his chest.

"Who else would be so bold?" asked Harry bitterly.

"Try someone who is actually comiting the crime idiot." muttered Lucius annoyed.

Hermione sighed.

"That's enough Harry." she said meeting Regulus' gaze. "It wasn't Draco."

"How do you know?"

"During the last attack Draco was dropping his son off at Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall had spoken to him." said Hermione her expression turned to one of sadness. "I'm sorry about your wife."

Draco looked away from the amber eyed witch not at all use to having someone feel concern for him that wasn't family.

"I-Thank you Hermione." he said.

"What happened to his wife?" asked Harry looking at Hermione with a confused expression on his face.

"She was killed you..." began Lucius only to be silenced by Narcissa.

Upon hearing this Harry Potter froze. He had no idea of the troubles any of the Malfoys faced given their choice to assist him during the second wizarding war.

"She was killed by death eaters looking for revenge." replied Draco bitterly meeting the sorrowful emerald eyes of his arch-nemesis. "I made a formal report with the ministry of magic only to be told you'll get back to me...my son Scorpius was injured as a result of the attack but survived, not that you care."

"I-I honestly didn't know Draco." said the emerald green eyed wizard.

"Of course you don't...you're the bloody chosen one, aside from losing your parents before you could even stop drooling, nothing bad ever happens to the chosen one." said the angry junior Malfoy.

"Let's go Harry." said Hermione noting how unwelcome they had been in the wake of the skirmish.

"Yeah geek boy." said Regulus narrowing his cold obsidian eyes at the green eyed Auror. "Listen to your friend."

Draco walked toward his parents noting Regulus for the first time.

"Y-You look just like him." he said stunned.

"I take it you mean the old man." said Regulus. "Been getting that a lot."

"He's a yank?" asked Draco turning his attention to his parents.

"Long story." replied The raven haired wizard. "I suppose we can talk over tea, you English like tea I'm told...the old man certainly did."

Draco nodded in agreement.

"I'd like that." he said his skirmish with Potter already forgotten as he and his parents turned toward Malfoy Manor.

Regulus and Hermione shared a final look before the son of Severus Snape accompanied the Malfoys back to the manor. She had hoped that whatever animosity he had toward Harry might have subsided but it only seemed to intensify.

With a crack of thunder they disappeared in search of another suspect to peruse, little did they know...The Serpent Brother's Of Destruction were just getting started.


	30. Chapter 29:Comeuppance

_**Chapter 29: Comeuppance**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S**_

 _ **{"You pay with your life...The duller the knife, the longer it takes (the longer it takes)...But now it's your turn...The ashes will burn, and wither away...Leaving your bones out on the stones, picking them clean (picking them clean)...And carving the truth, while harvesting you to feed the machine (to feed the machine)...The gears forever turn to grind the mice...Will you become the fuel for sacrifice?...Power absolutely all for show...The piper blows his flute and off you go..."}Feed The Machine, Nickelback**_

 _ **Northern Europe, Unknown World...(1996)...**_

 _ **E**_ _ **yes of blazing fury studied the cowered form of the once formidable and vicious death eater known as Igor Karkaroff, prominent Death Eater under current Hogwarts Professor Severus S. Snape and tyrannical Headmaster of Durmstrang Institute. Slow and methodical footsteps wrapped in fresh snowfall had followed the brute of a wizard amid the trees of a dead forest and seemingly endless snowbanks.**_

 _ **The bright crimson of the coward Karkaroff's blood glistened against the frosty white snow covered ground. His aged face stretched in a mask of grief and fear as he crawled on his belly like the serpent he embodied causing more snow to tunnel around him. His tree trunk like legs flailing as he continued to express his blatant cowardice.**_

 _ **"W-What do you want from me?" he asked shivering from both fear and the cold.**_

 _ **It had been amazing to see the once mighty tyrant brought low.**_

 _ **Ebony gloved hands of a hooded and robed figure stood watch as every muscle in his husky bulk twitched in fear rather than practical use.**_

 _ **"Why won't you say anything?" he asked as the blood oozed from his rather large mouth.**_

 _ **It seemed fitting given he had been shooting it off for far too many years.**_

 _ **The robed figured had been haunting to say the least, possibly given that the newly returned despot Voldemort had been cloaked in the same way as he stalked his prey slaughtering the innocent at his leisure.**_

 _ **Fortunately for Igor, this hooded figure had not been Voldemort. Rather unfortunately for the brutish wizard, this particular hooded figure had more than a few reasons for wanting him dead.**_

 _ **With a wave of his hand, the hooded figure cloaked in ebony sent forth a wand-less spell shattering the bones in both of Igor's legs.**_

 _ **The cry the gravely injured wizard gave could be heard for miles, sadly there had been no sign of life on this icy island to lend any sort of concern to the howling Headmaster.**_

 _ **"W-Why are you doing this?" asked Igor despite the biting pain further punctuated by the sharp and bitter cold that surrounded him.**_

 _ **Another wave of the robed figures hand and Igor found his ribs crushed from a single magical blow.**_

 _ **"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" he shouted as more blood seeped from his ever widening mouth.**_

 _ **Tears streamed down his age stretched cheeks as he noted the robed figure had been without mercy.**_

 _ **"S-Severus." said Igor spitting more blood in the wake of his further injury. "S-Severus please...t-they gave me no choice when I told them of your involvement with the dark lord...they wanted names and yours was one of the firsts to enter my mind."**_

 _ **Another hard magical blow came down punctuation anger but it missed the cowering Igor by a hair.**_

 _ **"P-Please..." said Igor in a bid to beg for his miserable existence to continue. "I-I have something...something you want...something you've always wanted...I-if you spare my life I will take you to reclaim it."**_

 _ **The hooded robed figure suddenly stopped in his tracks.**_

 _ **It was at that moment that Igor felt the intrusion of his mind as his deepest most guarded secrets came to light in the mind of his tormentor.**_

 _ **Once the extraction had been complete Igor stared in absolute horror at the robed figure.**_

 _ **"M-My Lord...is...is that you?" he asked timidly.**_

 _ **"You are quite the coward Headmaster Karkaroff." said the embittered voice of the hooded figure. "Quite a change from a blood thirsty brute beating a child wouldn't you say?"**_

 _ **Igor's eyes widened further as if ready to burst from their sockets.**_

 _ **"I-It can't be." he said in a near whisper.**_

 _ **A dark chuckle escaped the hooded figure as he unleashed his final spell.**_

 _ **"It's good to know that a sniveling,child-beating, coward like you could never have been my true father." said the hooded figure before unleashing the devastating spell. "Rot in hell traitor."**_

 _ **It was on that day that Igor Karkaroff had been magically beaten into an almost unrecognizable heap of dented flesh amid freezing snow splattered with the crimson of his vile blood.**_

 _ **According to the wizarding world, it was an exacted punishment on behalf of The Dark Lord Voldemort. The true murderer had known what really occurred, it was the exacting of punishment on behalf of the wizard Severus S. Snape.**_

 _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA_

 _Unknown Location, Unknown World..._

The masked being known as Arcturus seemed pleased as he looked down at his blood stained hands. Igor Karkaroff had been the first of many victims whom had committed crimes against Severus Snape and had suffered the consequences.

The leader of The Serpent Brothers Of Destruction had a lot more in store for the rest of the wizarding world. All those that profited or made well from the brutal murder of Severus Snape would all pay the price for their insolence.

Incensed, the leader of the S.B.D. sent his robed followers to do his bidding. He had decided that Harry Potter enjoyed the spot light from the murder of Voldemort for far too long. The first order of business had been to expose Potter for the weak and cowering fraud he truly was since the beginning of the second wizarding war.

Arcturus gave the order to bring in Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, the two individuals whom had assisted the so called hero of the wizarding world in a bid to cut off Potter's ability to use their assistance in this matter, having fought Granger first hand, the masked rebel had known all too well that it was Granger that was giving him the most trouble.

He set a course to rectify that effective immediately.


	31. Chapter 30:Embittered Reflections

_**Chapter 30: Embittered Reflections**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.**_

 _ **{"I stand surrounded by the walls that once confined me...Knowing I'll be underneath them...When they crumble...when they fall...With clarity my scars remind me...Ash still simmers just under my skin...Indifference smile again...So much I hide...How is stepping back a move forward?...Now I'm forced to look behind...I'm forced to look at you...You wear a thousand faces...Tell me, tell which is you...Broken mirrors paint the floor...Why can't you see the truth...You wear a thousand faces...Tell me, tell me which is you...Tell me which is you..."}A Thousand Faces,Creed**_

 _Snape's Bedroom, Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World..._

 _ **O**_ bsidian eyes glared back from the reflected glass as Regulus, the son of Severus Snape stood unable to sift through the wave of memories from his life in North America. His father had gone off to fight yet another wizarding war leaving him and his mother behind and it only increased the young wizard's bitterness.

Lucius Malfoy and his son Draco had enlightened him of Severus Snape's time with them during both wizarding wars and it seemed the reason for his leaving on both accounts had been due to Harry Potter.

His bitterness had not subsided in the least the more he heard the tales of how Potter gone out of his way to implicate Severus Snape in almost everything that went on around him simply because he detested the man.

Needless to say, the tales did little to endear Harry to Regulus but the only son of the former Potions Professor had been having a hard time coming to terms with anything his father had done truth be told heroic or otherwise.

He had not even been sure of what his own purpose was given his mother was now gone as well. He supposed The Malfoy family had not been so bad if his own father had considered them to be trust worthy.

It became abundantly clear to Regulus that none really knew his father, he seemed to wear a different mask with everyone he came in contact with.

 _ **RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR**_

 _ **The Snape Residence, North America, Unknown World...**_

 _ **Four year old Regulus had taken an unfortunate fall and skinned his knee in the process. He had wanted to cry but the embarrassment of doing so in the presence of his father kept him from doing so. Severus watched him for a moment with his arms folded across his chest. The older Snape had worn muggle clothes then, possibly to keep the boy from knowing the truth about his magical heritage until the proper time.**_

 _ **His face had been a mask of indifference for a moment before he suddenly broke into a small smile. With a wave of his hand, Severus summoned forth a small snow storm that he balanced in his palm and walked over to the boy in two quick strides.**_

 _ **The toddler looked in wonder at what his father had done not at all noting the pain in his knee nor the trickle of blood from the wound.**_

 _ **"Papa...you can make it snow." he said amazed.**_

 _ **Snape seemed to delight in his young son's innocence.**_

 _ **"Yes." he said. "As can you."**_

 _ **Regulus had been shocked when Snape placed the small storm into his small hand successfully distracting the boy as he healed the wound on his knee. The little wizard in the making smiled noting his father had accomplished all of this without causing him any unnecessary pain.**_

 _ **"There you are." said Snape with a pleasant smile. "Off you go."**_

 _ **Regulus got to his feet and returned his father's pleasant smile.**_

 _ **"Thank you Papa." he said sweetly and continued to play with the small magical storm nestled within his tiny palms.**_

 _ **RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR**_

 _ **The Woods, Unknown Location...**_

 _ **Sixteen year old Regulus had been out of breath as his father continued to drill him on defensive spells. The Potions Professor had been incensed about not getting The Defense Against The Dark Arts post at Hogwarts once again, and decided to dedicate his time to instructing his son properly given his numerous enemies.**_

 _ **The harsh expression on the face of a thirty -two year old Severus Snape had been as cold as the winter snow that surrounded the two wizards as Regulus found himself repelling relentless spell-work from his father's wand.**_

 _ **"Try harder." said Snape in a biting tone.**_

 _ **"Father we've been at this for hours..." said Regulus trying to catch his breath. "If I could just..."**_

 _ **"Your enemies will not care wither you've had a rest or not boy." said Snape annoyed. "You being ready could be the difference between life and death for not only yourself but also your mother...whom I should not need to remind you is a muggle woman."**_

 _ **"You know I don't need to be reminded of the dangers she faces even being associated with us." replied Regulus.**_

 _ **"Good." replied Snape. "Now back to training."**_

 _ **Regulus pushed himself harder with the image of inevitable combat with unknown enemies burned into his mind.**_

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 _Snape's Bedroom, Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World..._

Regulus had still been staring at himself in the mirror. Despite having found the Malfoy family, it did little to quell the loneliness he felt deep inside him. He had only ever felt complete in the presence of one person since his parents passed and that had been Hermione Granger-Weasley.

His antics as of late due to Harry Potter being the cause of his father's absence in his life had put a bit of a damper on his relationship with the exceptionally bright witch but he had hoped to put it behind him, at least for her sake.

The attraction they felt for one another had definitely been other worldly despite his re-occurring jokes that she might have had the hots for his father when she had been his student and his almost uncanny resemblance to the dour wizard had been nothing short of amusing in terms of seeing her cheeks turn red and the avid denial of her own un-professed feelings for either of the Snape men.

The raven haired wizard backed away from the mirror and decided to focus his attention on the amber eyed witch. She certainly had been pleasant to look at despite being married to that freckle-faced fool Ron and the mother of two children.

She had insisted they remain friends despite these obstacles and it presented the opportunity for something to develop that might even make her think twice about her so called marriage to that fool.

Regulus smiled to himself.

Perhaps, he had been his father's son, at least in terms of Slytherin tact despite having gone to Ilvermorny. The young wizard often suspected that had his family stayed in England, not only would he have developed his father's accent but he would definitely have been sorted into the house of the green and silver serpent.


	32. Chapter 31:The Plight Of The Wayward

_**Chapter 31: The Plight Of The Wayward**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.**_

 _ **{"Masquerading as a man with a reason...My charade is the event of the season...And if I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know...On a stormy sea of moving emotion...Tossed about I'm like a ship on the ocean...I set a course for winds of fortune, but I hear the voices say...Carry on my wayward son...For there'll be peace when you are done...Lay your weary head to rest...Don't you cry no more..."}Carry On Wayward Son, Kansas**_

 _Hogwarts Castle Grounds, Scotland, Wizarding World..._

 _ **B**_ right flashes of magical energy and dazzling smoke filled the air as Hogwarts Castle found itself under assault for the first time in nineteen years. Headmistress McGonagall had been well equipped to handle the threat if it were to come to a long term battle having taken the students and locking them safely away from the fire fight. The Professors had been ready to defend Hogwarts as they had before from the will of a mad tyrant.

It seemed that they were in agreement that this Arcturus of the Serpent Brothers Of Destruction had been no different than the likes of Voldemort in his early days. The only difference had been the magical brute's agenda concerning Severus Snape.

Hermione had cleverly determined the next attack would take place at Hogwarts given it's significance to Snape at the time of his death. Harry had run out of option in terms of narrowing down whom he believed the wizard intent on imposing his will upon the wizarding world had been.

Once the Aurors jumped to the defense of Hogwarts and their young children whom were in attendance, the fighting intensified. Hermione Granger-Weasley had been cornered near the east tower and ambushed before anyone could figure out that Arcturus had planned to take her before all the fighting had even occurred.

Realizing his mistake all too late, Harry attempted to save his best friend only to find he had been out maneuvered once more. It had been fortunate for him that Icarus had responded to Hermione's distress and this time he had not been alone when his great wings flapped and a clap of thunder soon followed.

Harry had been greatly surprised to see Regulus Snape taking down members of The Serpent Brother's Of Destruction with quick and precise spells. His graceful movements despite his impressive build had been the result of rigorous training with his father in the past.

"Geek boy where's Hermione?" asked Regulus aiding the bewildered Harry Potter.

"They took her toward the east tower." said the green eyed wizard.

"Round up the others." said the raven haired wizard. "I'll get her back."

Before Harry could object to the brazen attempt to take on a powerful dark wizard alone, Regulus had been long gone.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

 _The East Tower, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World..._

Hermione Granger struggled in the grasp of the two robed brutes keeping her prisoner. She had assumed they had planned to lure Harry to the location in a bid to ambush him. The witch attempted to fight her way out of the trap only to be subdued by another robed wizard. She had greatly respected Severus Snape before and after he was killed during the second wizarding war.

She had not understood how anyone whom held the deceased wizard in such high regard could do something so terrible in his name. From what Harry had told her about Snape and his memories the Potions Professor greatly resented his status as a Death Eater following Lily Potter's murder.

Never one to be counted out for long, Hermione's mind set to work on coming up with a solution to get her out of the clutches of her enemies before any harm could be done to Harry or anyone else that had come to rescue her. Not to mention the label of a damsel in distress had no appeal to the world weary witch.

Thinking quickly, she managed to step on the foot of one of her captors and elbowed him in the ribs. They might have been prepared for any sort of magical defense but nothing had been done to educate them on muggle violence.

Hermione managed to make it toward a darkened corridor only to find herself running quite literally into the raven haired wizard known as Regulus Snape. The two of them tumbled down a darkened corridor that had been thankfully out of the path of their pursuers.

When they landed, Hermione had unceremoniously ended up on top of the harshly breathing American wizard.

"Shit." said Regulus coming to his senses after getting a whiff of her jasmine scented hair. "What a time to get a boner."

Hermione's eyes widened as she quickly attempted to get off of him.

"Regulus?" she said confused for a moment before noting his accent.

"So much for this being an epic rescue." he said sitting up.

"What are you doing here?" asked the amber eyed witch.

"I was taking a ride with Icarus and then he suddenly started "spazzing out" on me and flew me here." replied the American wizard. "I think he likes you."

Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Regulus...those men are from The Serpent Brothers Of Destruction." she quickly explained. "They've attacked Hogwarts and my son is attending for his first year."

"Bummer." he said getting to his feet and dusting himself off. "So I guess this means you need a distraction considering you don't really need the rescue."

"I..." began Hermione only to be silenced by Regulus kissing her on the cheek.

"Say no more gorgeous one." he replied with a smile. "Let's clear out this trash."

Hermione shook her head.

Regulus Snape had been a strange wizard alright and she was quite glad to have him on her side, weirdness not withstanding.

"Alright." she said.

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 _The East Tower, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World..._

With the help of Icarus and Hermione's ingenious planning, The Serpent Brother's Of Destruction had been driven back from the grounds of Hogwarts. Regulus had provided the distraction as he had promised only to find himself overwhelmed in the catacombs of an abandoned part of the castle.

He had been doing his best to avoid the spells being cast his way after injuring his shoulder in the initial fall upon unwanted discovery of this level of the castle grounds.

"Shit." he said ducking and dodging rubble as it nearly struck him in the wake of a misfired spell.

He had been too far below ground and hidden in the unknown parts of the castle to have help from either the Aurors or Icarus.

Another spell zipped by him.

"Fuck." he said as he continued to hurry out of the path of more misfired spells. "Great job on the rescue Reg...now how in the hell are we going to get out of this mess?"

He had seemingly avoided his pursuers for far too long as his footing gave way in time for another spell to be fired and he went down without much effort. He had known initially he had broken his shoulder in the fall and lost track of his wand before he could determine which way to further run, the robed wizards attacked him.

Feeling the intensity of a white hot pain shoot through his body, Regulus Snape lost consciousness as his enemies surrounded him...wands at the ready.

"Dad..." had been the last thing he said before everything faded.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

 _The Grounds, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World..._

There had been no sign of Regulus as Hermione quickly made her way around the castle. Order had been restored thanks to the Aurors driving out the intruders and Harry had managed to confirm the children had been well in Minerva's care.

"Did you see him?" asked Hermione still looking around despite the "all clear".

"See who?" asked Harry unsure what she meant.

"Regulus." replied the amber eyed witch. "He helped me into the castle by causing a distraction and I haven't seen him since we split up near the east tower."

"I didn't see him." replied Harry. "The bird's gone too maybe he took off again...you know Snapes don't stick around for admiration."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at her best friend.

"Sorry." he said realizing that Snape had no choice in his lack of admiration given he had been murdered. "Kidding."

"Some times I can't believe you." she said still slightly annoyed.

"I suppose I've been around Ron too long." replied the green eyed wizard.

"Given your poor humor and horrid eating habits, I wouldn't doubt it." replied Hermione as she sighed. "I suppose he did go home...but I can't help but shake this terrible feeling that something's wrong."

Harry sighed placing a hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"It could be the shock given that we were just doing battle at Hogwarts again after nineteen years." he said. "I say we go home and get some rest."

"But what if..." began Hermione.

"No buts...Mione." said Harry in a serious tone. "I'm sure Regulus can take care of himself...he is Snape's son after all."

Seeing no reason to argue that fact Hermione nodded in agreement.

"I suppose you're right." she said still not able to fully bury the strange feeling. "Home it is."

The two best friends relished their minor victory over The Serpent Brothers Of Destruction and the infamous Arcturus. Little did they know, evidence of foul play was only a few meters away in the form of a broken tunnel cover.


	33. Chapter 32:The Son Of The Serpent

_**Chapter 32: The Son Of The Serpent**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.**_

 _ **{"You're broken, so am I...I'm better off alone...No one to turn to and nothing to call my own...Outspoken, so am I...Explosive words that your world wouldn't understand...Turn away again...You're beaten, so am I...I've got a heart of stone...No medication can cure what has taken hold...You're hurting, so am I...When I awaken, remember why I've been running from your...World...Dishonored by your world...Your world...I'm haunted by your world..."}Haunted,Disturbed**_

 _Unknown Location, Unknown World..._

 _ **W**_ hite hot pain had been the only sensation Regulus could feel as he slowly drifted into the realm of consciousness. He had recalled being surrounded by masked figures draped in ebony robes with wands ready to cast a spell at the slightest twitch from him. It had been true here in this strange place despite the change of location the images remained the same. The distorted voice commanded the robed wizards and they acted stripping Regulus down to his boxer shorts as he found himself examined by them.

"He appears to be quite healthy." said one of his unwanted observers.

"Good." came the another voice before fading into the silence.

Regulus Snape had been dazed until a violent assault sought to invade his weakened mind and sift through his memories. Whomever it had been they were just as brutal as Severus Snape himself when invading his thought and they were sifting through his time with his father.

"So...he was your father." said the voice in the darkness. "It begs the question as to why you dare fight so hard to protect those that sought to cause him harm?"

The invasion concluded as new images entered his mind, this time of Severus Snape being tormented by a man that looked a lot like Harry Potter.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

 _ **The Grounds, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...(1973)**_

 _ **Thirteen year old Severus Snape had been flung to the ground by a vicious four-way assault from the wands of the Marauders: James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin.**_

 _ **He struggled in vain as the magical lashes cut deeply into his pale flesh. His screams of anguish ignored as the four supposed Gryffindor students relished causing his suffering. Young Severus had been bullied for months by these same students and despite reports not a single one of the teachers ever did anything about it.**_

 _ **Not even The Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.**_

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 _Unknown Location, Unknown World..._

Regulus struggled against the images filling his mind as he felt his own rage ignite at the treatment his father suffered while being only a boy.

"Do you understand...that we are not you're enemy son of Severus Snape?" asked the voice in the darkness. "We are here to bring about justice to those that have wronged your father...and those that profited from his bloodshed."

Regulus felt his rage but his mind traveled back to Hermione Granger-Weasley and how his captors tried to harm her.

"Hermione, isn't one of the ones that hurt him." he said in a bitter tone. "She's practically obsessed with him and defending his memory."

He recalled when the witch struck him across the face in defense of Snape even to him.

"She is merely a casualty of war." replied The voice in the darkness. "If she continues to side with Potter than she will suffer the consequences."

Regulus felt the intrusion again only this time it was aimed at projecting an image. This time he pushed back and entered the mind of whomever it was that had taken him prisoner. The images were much different from what he had seen before.

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 _ **Unknown Location, Unknown World...**_

 _ **A six year old boy stood trembling as the rather tall and imposing form of death eater Igor Karkaroff stood before him. The cold stare from the so called "father" more biting than the bitter cold that seemed to lick rather ferociously at his thinly built bones.**_

 _ **The man known as Igor struck the boy causing his little jaw to break and continued to glare at him the moment a sniffle escaped him.**_

 _ **"You are weak." said Igor in a harsh tone.**_

 _ **Still trembling the boy did his best to appear brave despite the agonizing pain he was suffering from his broken jaw.**_

 _ **He did not know what he had done to make his father hate him so, but he seemed to understand that he couldn't help it.**_

 _ **"I-I'm s-sorry father." he tried unsure what Igor wanted of him.**_

 _ **Another blow drew blood from his tiny nose.**_

 _ **The boy did his best to keep from crying despite the injuries as Igor watched him like a hawk stalking it's prey.**_

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 _Unknown Location, Unknown World..._

Regulus glared at the robed figures that surrounded him. He had not been clear as to whom had been the one projecting the images but it was all too obvious that whomever it was had not liked his little venture into their mind.

"So...you possess a similar gift." said the voice in the darkness. "I should have expected as much."

Regulus continued to struggle against the bindings that kept him at bay.

"I don't care who you are or what you been through...you have no right to take your frustrations out on Hermione, she didn't do anything to my father." he said defiantly.

A villainous chuckle came from the darkness before Regulus was hit with intense waves of pain.

"Do not presume to give me orders weakling." hissed the voice in his mind. "You are soft because you have an unrequited infatuation with the meddling Auror."

Regulus did his best not to react to the pain but it had been worse than the beating before he got to this strange place.

"Since you remain convinced that she cares so much for you...let us put that to the test then...son of Snape." said the voice in the darkness once more.

Before the raven haired wizard could utter a response, he was branded by a hot poker from a nearby fireplace.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he yelled in agony.

The son of Severus Snape had barely a few moments to consider the charred flesh of his arm before the pain became too much and he lost consciousness once more.

"We'll be watching you." said the voice as everything faded around him. "Son of The Serpent."


	34. Chapter 33:The Undaunted

_**Chapter 33: The**_ ** _Undaunted_**

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.**_

 _The Entrance Hall,Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World..._

 _ **L**_ ucius Malfoy had been pacing the floor like a man possessed as he sought the return of his godson Regulus. He had been reminded of all those nights he had waited to hear word from Severus during the most grueling parts of the wizarding wars. The sting of the dour wizard's loss had never left the once elegant and charming senior Malfoy as he gripped the firewhiskey bottle.

A loud and reverberating crack of thunder had gotten his undivided attention and he rushed out into the front of the house to meet the weary traveler. As he made his way outside the door, his sorrowful gray eyes caught sight of Severus Snape's boy appearing to fall from the sky as if he had been unable to control his apparation.

"Shit." said Lucius racing over to catch the younger wizard before he hit the ground.

It had been an impressive catch to say the least given how drunk the older wizard had been. He pulled the seemingly unconscious Regulus into his arms.

As he held the only son of Severus Snape close to him and the blood pooled from various wounds all the aged wizard could think of is how many times he had taken Severus in after finding him in this condition.

Like father, like son.

Lucius carried the unconscious Regulus into the manor and set to work on treating his numerous injuries. He had not known what had caused this but he could bet that it had been Potter related.

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 ** _The Snape Residence, North America, Unknown World..._**

 **Regulus had been half asleep as his father held him pacing the living room. His ear rested against his father's ebony clad shoulder and the scent of herbs and fresh earth filled his tiny nose making the moment even more memorable.**

 **He had only been seven then and his father aged due to grief after a three year absence from the family. His mother had been busily scrubbing the dishes following dinner despite being told she didn't need to worry with such trivial things. The aged wizard seemed to move much more slowly than he had in the past and it appeared all the youthful flare had gone out of him.**

 **The boy had not known the injuries his father suffered while imprisoned in Azkaban nor the emotional torment he was careful to hide from those around him.**

 **Regulus had not wanted to let the newly returned wizard go, fearing that he'd leave again and wouldn't return for another three years or more.**

 **"Sleep little Prince." said Snape gently rocking his young son. "For tomorrow is another day."**

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 _Snape's Bedroom, Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World..._

Sweat poured heavily from the brow of an adult Regulus as Lucius Malfoy did his best to treat his numerous injuries. The fact that the boy was prone to fever much like his father had only intensified his concern for him.

The burn mark on the side of his left shoulder had been similar to the tattoo that Lucius had on his left shoulder. He could do little to treat it even with magic and potions at his disposal. The best he could do was offer a handy glamour charm.

Regulus gripped the sheets of his father's bed as more sweat poured off him. His lengthy raven locks stuck to his clammy pale flesh as he reacted to the pain.

In the wake of the fever's delusion, he could have sworn he had seen his father standing at the foot of the bed.

"D-Dad..,?" said the fevered young wizard.

"It's going to be alright Regulus." said Lucius receiving a wet cloth from Narcissa as she entered the room.

He wiped the boy's brow determined to see him through the worst of it.

Regulus reached out for the figure of Severus Snape before him but it disappeared as another wave of agony ripped through him.

Draco entered the room with a freshly brewed pain potion and gave it to Narcissa. Both he and Lucius lifted the ailing Regulus just enough for him to drink it as she fed it to him. Once the worst of it was over, The Malfoy clan allowed the poor young Snape to get some much needed rest.

They had been completely convinced that Harry Potter had been the reason the young wizard had been in such a condition and they were determined to ensure that no other Snape was killed in the wake of that ever dependent wizard's idiocy.

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 _Snape's Bedroom, Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World..._

The sleeping wizard's mind had traveled back to the amber eyes of Hermione Granger-Weasley. Even in his current condition he couldn't get the beautiful witch off his mind. He recalled the members of The Serpent Brother's Of Destruction threatening her and all whom appeared to be close to Harry Potter.

Regulus' obsidian eyes opened and he forced himself to sit up despite his body feeling out of sorts. He needed to warn Hermione of the impending attack even if it meant his own life would be extinguished.

The injured wizard forced himself out of bed and gathered his scattered attire. His left shoulder was numb and sporting a rather nasty scar. Unbeknownst to him, Lucius Malfoy had placed a glamour charm on the wound to make it appear so. He shuffled into his jeans and shoes despite his injuries and leapt out the window.

Narcissa Malfoy had been about to enter the room with a tray of food and tea when she noted that the younger wizard had been missing. She sighed heavily taking care to leave the tray on the end table before heading back downstairs.

"That boy is much too much like his father." she said sadly.

Lucius had seemed to gather as much by the look on her face when she returned from her trip to Severus' bedroom.

"I suppose we'll just have to wait for him to crash in again." he said turning his attention back to his drink. "I trust you put the tray under stasis."

"Of course." replied Narcissa. "The boy is a Snape after all."

Lucius nodded in agreement.

"It appears that Regulus and Severus are forever the undaunted." he said taking another drink from his glass he raised it high and turned his attention to the respective portraits of the fallen Potions Master and Narcissa's long deceased cousin, that he had painted in remembrance of the two fallen members of the original S.B.D. "To the undaunted, may you always remain so...little brothers."


	35. Chapter 34:A Unified Force For Good

_**Chapter 34: A Unified Force For Good**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.**_

 _ **{"You call to me, and I fall at your feet...How could anyone ask for more?...And our time apart, like knives in my heart...How could anyone ask for more?...But if there's a pill to help me forget,...God knows I haven't found it yet...But I'm dying to, God I'm trying to...'Cause trying not to love you, only goes so far...Trying not to need you, is tearing me apart...Can't see the silver lining, from down here on the floor...And I just keep on trying, but I don't know what for...'Cause trying not to love you...Only makes me love you more...Only makes me love you more..."}Trying Not To Love You, Nickleback**_

 _Open Field,The Burrows, Wizarding World..._

 _ **T**_ he loud crash landing had gotten plenty of attention in the open field of The Burrows. Regulus scrambled to his feet and found himself accompanied by The Potters, Harry and Ginny with their wands drawn, and The Granger-Weasley's Ron and Hermione also with their wands drawn.

Ron looked over the injured wizard with a bit of annoyance.

"You're that yank bloke from the alley." he said as if it were the first thing that came to mind.

Hermione rolled her eyes and lowered her wand.

"Regulus." she said pleased to see that he had made it out of Hogwarts tunnels as well.

Harry and Ginny simultaneously lowered their wands and attempted to help the limping wizard.

Regulus waved them off as he turned his attention to Hermione.

"G-Good to see you in one piece gorgeous." he said in his usual banter. "Unfortunately, I had a bad run in with those robed weirdos that had been stalking you all, the leader I think was a very moody kind of guy, I guess he didn't take too kindly to my sense of humor...dude totally kicked my ass and dumped me off in hooker alley or whatever."

Ron seemed to take note of how Regulus was looking at his wife and stepped in front of her.

"I'll have you know she's a married woman." he said not at all hiding his jealousy in terms of his wife's apparent attraction to this strange wizard.

"So the ring says, Freckles." replied Regulus turning his attention to Ron Weasley. "But we both know that's never stopped you...so why should she be any different."

Ron had been positively fuming.

"Listen...you." he began only to be interrupted by Hermione.

"Shut it Ron." she said harshly. "Everyone knows you can't keep out of the brothels married or not."

"Well what about him, I heard he spends more time there than I do?" shouted Ron not at all helping his own case.

Ginny narrowed her eyes at her older brother.

"Honestly Ron, you are a toerag." she said. "How could you cheat on Hermione?"

Ron's face and body turned red and in an instant he drew his wand aiming it at Regulus.

"I don't care if I do frequent a brothel, no Yank Snape look alike his going to steal my wife." he declared.

Harry sighed.

Everyone had been privy to Ron's less than savory antics and few said little citing it as not being their place.

"What are you going to do poke me in the eye freckles?" taunted Regulus. "I didn't come here to whisk your woman way if that's what you're so hard up about...I just wanted her and Geek boy to know that I've decided to join in their little war against the S.B.D."

Harry's emerald eyes widened.

"Y-You mean..." he began only to be cut off by Regulus.

"This does not in anyway make us friends Geek boy, I just want a little pay back on the bathrobe crew for jumping me in the tunnel." he said in clear warning. "As far as me and gorgeous are concerned Freckles, she's made it clear that she wishes to honor her marriage vows even if you won't and has graciously accepted my friendship despite what you may want to believe, and given that we are "friends", I thought it a good idea to give her a heads up about our mutual Halloween enthusiast having plans to harm her."

Ron folded his arms across his chest and narrowed his blue eyes at the son of his former Potions Professor.

"As far as I am concerned you are as greasy a git as your father." he said bitterly.

"Whatever you say freckles." replied Regulus turning back to the field.

"Wait." said Hermione noting his injured frame. "You shouldn't be flying in your condition, you've already crashed once."

"Twice if you count back at Malfoy Manor." admitted the raven haired wizard with a smile. "Don't worry about me beautiful, I can take care of myself."

Ginny had been in agreement with Hermione. From what Harry described Snape had to endure during his time as spy for the Order Of Phoenix. She could only imagine what Regulus had to endure at the hands of The S.B.D.

"Maybe you should stay for a bit and heal up." she chimed in much to her brother's annoyance. "I mean you did come all this way to warn us, the least we could do is put you up for the night."

"No Thanks." replied Regulus with his obsidian eyes flickering in Harry Potter's direction. "I just came to give you the update...but the offer was...appreciated."

Taking one last look at Hermione, The raven haired son of Severus Snape took off in a clap of thunder. Ron glared at his wife annoyed by her apparent attachment to this American wizard. It had not been enough for him to out do him in the ally but to have his wife's undivided attention with little to no effort made the red head quite envious.

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 _Snape's Bedroom, Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World..._

Regulus returned to Malfoy Manor to find his meal on stasis as if they knew he'd return. He went through the window in a bid not to disturb them and immediately sat down to his meal. The flight and subsequent fight in the tunnel had made him famished. He was pleased that the fever had broken due to his late night swim prior to his arrival at the Manor and all he needed was a good deal of rest.

After finishing off his sandwich, the exhausted wizard passed out in the center of his father's former bed.


	36. Chapter 35:Memories Of The Cold One

_**Chapter 35: Memories Of The Cold One**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.**_

 _ **{"What I really meant to say...Is I'm sorry for the way I am...I never meant to be so cold...Never meant to be so...Cold to you, I'm sorry about all the lies,Maybe in a different light,You can see me stand on my own again...I never really wanted you to see...The screwed-up side of me...That I keep locked inside of me so deep,It always seems to get to me...I never really wanted you to go...So many things you should have known...I guess for me there's just no hope; I never meant to be so cold..."}So Cold,Crossfade**_

 _ **The Snape Residence, North America, Unknown World...**_

 _ **Blazing fury behind cold obsidian had been just one of the contrasts amid the forest trees and freshly fallen white snow below their boots. A twenty year old Regulus had been injured pretty badly from the last series of attacks from his father's wand.**_

 _ **"You should have grasped this concept of magical defense by now boy!" hissed Snape irate.**_

 _ **Regulus crawled along the snowy bank hearing the stream nearby as his father's patient and calculating footsteps moved along the frosted ground.**_

 _ **Blood oozed from the twenty year old's mouth and his body trembled due to his numerous aches.**_

 _ **"D-Dad please." he said weakly.**_

 _ **Snape only grew more agitated.**_

 _ **"Is this what you plan to do to an enemy?" he asked as if disgusted by the very sight of him.**_

 _ **"I-I'm not your enemy Dad..." said Regulus struggling to breathe as he felt his lung might have been punctured during the last attack. "I-I'm your son."**_

 _ **"A son that turns out to be little more than a disappointment." said Snape coldly as he glared down at the younger wizard his harsh expression more biting than the snow that surrounded them.**_

 _ **"I-I didn't mean to be." replied Regulus looking back up at the bitter angry wizard he loved more than anything in the world.**_

 _ **Upon hearing these words, Snape seemed to break free of whatever madness gripped him and immediately healed his ailing son.**_

 _ **The Potions Master's fury had been due to his upcoming role in what was to be Albus Dumbledore's untimely death. He had been so obsessed with protecting his wife and son from the eventual backlash that he had nearly killed him in the training exercise.**_

 _ **The boy may have been twenty years of age but he had still been a boy...his boy.**_

 _ **"I-I apologize." said Snape turning away from the younger wizard in shame. "I treated you no better than my own father treated me and you did not deserve such disrespect."**_

 _ **Regulus had not known what to say to this as he got to his feet.**_

 _ **He moved toward his father unsure of how to approach him.**_

 _ **"Dad..." he started.**_

 _ **"You are not a disappointment." said Snape with all sincerity.**_

 _ **Regulus was not to be denied as he ensured his father looked upon him when he said what he needed to say.**_

 _ **"Neither are you Dad." he said meeting the cold wizard's eyes.**_

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 _Snape's Bedroom, Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World..._

When Regulus opened his eyes, he found himself in his father's bedroom back at Malfoy Manor. He had eaten from the tray Narcissa Malfoy had left behind for him and left nothing but an empty glass and the plate in his wake. He had been rather pleased that she placed the food on stasis while he had made his little trip to The Burrows.

He had been half delirious when he returned still seeing his father standing at the foot of his bed. The memories of the elder Snape had been overwhelming in his current condition but it was comforting to see his father again.

The threat to the wizarding world had been a serious one and Regulus couldn't afford to ignore it any longer. The younger Snape came to the conclusion that his father would never have sat idly by and allowed something so evil to take over given his involvement in the two wizarding wars against Voldemort.

And more importantly, he was not going to allow this Arcturus to hurt Hermione, it didn't matter if she was with freckles or not...she had been his only friend since the murder of his father and the subsequent passing of his mother.

Regulus got dressed ignoring the sore muscles in his battered body and made his way toward the bedroom door.

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 _The Sitting Room, Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World..._

Lucius Malfoy had been seated at the breakfast table with Narcissa and Draco when Regulus arrived. The Senior Malfoy smiled watching the seemingly out of sorts young wizard make his way toward the table. He had not known the place prepared for him had been his father's for years.

"Morning." said Lucius with something of a smile plastered across his charming face for the first time in years.

"Yeah." grumbled Regulus turning his attention to his plate and grasping a piece of toast.

Narcissa shook her head.

Clearly Snape Jr. wasn't much of a morning person either.

Draco smiled unable to get how much his God-brother reminded him of his Uncle Severus.

"I trust that you've had a good night's sleep." he said turning his attention to his own meal.

"Dreamed of the old man last night." replied Regulus biting into his toast. "Even in my dreams he's never any fun."

"Well you'd have to get him drunk first." said Lucius with a grin.

Regulus chuckled at this.

"So you knew my Dad when since he was a kid?" he asked curious.

Lucius nodded.

"I did." he replied. "He was about eleven and I was a handsome twenty something with more money than well...anyone."

Narcissa rolled her eyes.

"What your uncle means to say is that your father has been dear to us for a great many years and there isn't a moment that goes by that we don't mourn his loss." she said.

"Draco tells me Dad and you use to fuck." said Regulus finishing off his toast. "Was it before marriage or did you three have some kind of an arrangement?"

Narcissa smirked.

"Quite the vulgar use of wording but...your father and I did have a brief relationship before either of us were married." she replied.

"Nice." replied Regulus in admiration of his father before taking a big gulp of what appeared to be pumpkin juice.

The grimace on his face had caught the attention of everyone at the table.

"What the fuck is that!?" he asked standing up from the table and spitting it across the room.

Lucius Malfoy burst out laughing and found himself joined by his wife and son.

"If this boy isn't a chip off the ol' block I don't know what is." said the amused Senior Malfoy. "Severus hated pumpkin juice...he called it the most rancid thing in the history of wizarding idiotics."

"Well he was fucking right." replied Regulus letting the juice drip down his chin. "Who the fuck thought of something that insane?"

"Hey I happen to like pumpkin juice." said Draco unable to keep a straight face.

"Pumpkin spice is good...pumpkin pie is fucking fantastic but pumpkin juice is just the kind of bullshit a geek boy like potter would approve of." said Regulus not at all pleased about aftertaste.

"Accio wine." he said sitting back down and uncorking a bottle of red wine.

Lucius continued to chuckle as he watched his newly discovered nephew finish his breakfast and down a whole bottle of red wine at the same time.

"Father...where has he been all my life?" asked Draco turning his attention back to his food.

"In North America I believe." replied Lucius with a sad smile.


	37. Chapter 36:Baseless Accusations

_**Chapter 36: Baseless Accusations**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.**_

 _ **{"Suzie steamboat, you're so fine...Grant the wish I wish tonight...Tinker tailor, whatcha' got?...Wheels on the bus are falling off...Pretty maids all in a row...Yes, sir, yes, sir three bags full...Silver spoon at supper time...Four and twenty blackbirds, oh, so high...Oh, it must be nice...To spend each day in paradise...You wonder why you've ever failed...Your life's a goddamn fairy tale...Your life's a goddamn fairy tale..."}Must Be Nice,Nickelback**_

 _The Burrows, The Potter Residence, Wizarding World..._

 _ **T**_ he witches and wizards gathered had been restless as they struggled to come to an agreement on how to deal with the growing threat of The Serpent Brothers Of Destruction. Regulus had insisted that this Arcturus, was not one to take lightly but Ron pointed out that he was merely "a Snape fanatic throwing a tantrum."

"Listen Snape Junior, I already lived through two wizarding wars while you were safely tucked away in the states." said Ron narrowing his blue eyes at the taller wizard.

"The only reason you lived at all is because my father did all the heavy lifting." replied Regulus glaring rather coldly back at the red head wizard. "None of you would have lasted two minutes without my old man."

"So what you think you could have done any better?" asked Ron not letting up. "The more I think about it..the more I'm convinced at how strange it is that you show up around the same time one of us gets attacked."

"What the fuck are you trying to insinuate Weasel?" asked Regulus balling his fists.

"I think you know Snape." replied Ron ignoring the nickname given to him by Draco Malfoy coming from the son of his most hated Professor.

"Hey stop this isn't getting us anywhere." said Harry attempting to quell the in fighting.

"Ron what's gotten into you?" asked Hermione seemingly disgusted by her so called husband's antics.

"Yeah Ron, Reg is just trying to help...it's more than what you've done in the past few weeks." added Ginny.

Ron Weasley rolled his eyes.

"I can't believe any of you trust this fucking Yank." he said annoyed. "This is Snape's son we are talking about...none of you find it the least bit suspicious that he shows up right when the attacks begin and their apparently in defense of his dead git father..."

Before anyone could react, Regulus threw a punch landing square in Ron's jaw and knocking him to the floor. The red head wizard looked up at him touching his bloodied lip.

"See." he said with his eyes growing wide. "He's every bit as violent as Arcturus...how do you know it isn't him that's been blowing up all these buildings?"

"Fuck you Weasley." replied Regulus. "If I wanted to beat the shit out of someone for talking smack about my old man I wouldn't need to hide behind a mask to do it!"

"Stop both of you!" shouted Harry as if anyone of them gave any consideration to his opinion. "This isn't helping!"

Regulus turned his attention to the green eyed wizard.

"Fuck you geek boy." he hissed. "What makes you think I give a damn about your opinion?"

"Regulus." said Hermione getting the embittered wizard's attention.

"Look I'll be around when you all get your heads out of Weasel's ass, I got better things to do." said the raven haired wizard.

He made his way toward the front door and out into the open field. Hermione looked at the downed Ron whom had wanted sympathy from her and had gotten more grief.

"Thanks a lot Ron." she said. "Anything more you can do to turn Regulus against us will be greatly appreciated."

"I wasn't trying to..." began Ron in a bid to defend himself.

"Save it." hissed an angry Hermione. "I put up with a lot of immature selfishness from you Ronald Weasley, but this is getting to be too much...our children's lives are in jeopardy and all you can think about is your fragile little male ego."

"Mione..." tried Ron once more before he lost his temper again. "I didn't like the way that bloke was looking at you."

"Big surprise." piped Ginny rolling her eyes.

Harry did his best to remain out of this not wishing to incur the wrath of the two witches. He had kept his suspicions that perhaps Ron had been right about Regulus' assistance being a bit too convenient in the wake of the attacks.

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 _The Brothel, Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World..._

Regulus had gotten his usual room with Ron Weasley's favorite whore. The obnoxious little bastard had gotten on his last nerve and if he couldn't have Hermione in the way he wished to teach the red head moron a lesson he was damn sure going to use his favored whore.

The hours seemed to pass all too quickly as a sweat blasted Regulus Snape found himself breathing rapidly and staring up at the ceiling. He reached for the bottle of firewhiskey only to find that it had been empty and threw the bottle against the nearby wall.

The force of the shattered glass had jolted the sleeping whore Lucy from her well earned slumber.

The sweaty wizard sat up and began fishing about the room for his trousers and shoes.

"Leaving so soon?" asked Lucy staring rather hungrily at him.

Regulus rolled his eyes.

"Out of booze." he replied in an emotionless tone.

He shuffled into his shirt and made for the door leaving the wanton whore lying in bed.

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 _Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World..._

Hermione had been fed up with Ron's antics and left to clear her head. She had not noticed her need to get as far away from her husband as she possibly could lead her to the one place she knew Regulus would be.

The raven haired wizard came rounding the corner and found himself face to face with a rather concerned Hermione Granger.

"What are you doing here?" he asked stumbling a bit despite his grip on vocabulary.

"I had to make sure you were alright." said Hermione quickly.

"As you can see gorgeous, I'm doing just fine." replied Regulus opening his arms to demonstrate how alright he had been.

"You're drunk." said Hermione observing him.

"Buzzed more the like." he replied. "I'm on my way to get drunk if that's what you were worried about."

"Leaving the brothel so soon?" asked Hermione narrowing her eyes at him.

"Not all of us are married...how else was I gonna get a no-strings-attached-fuck?" countered The slightly buzzed wizard.

"Regulus this area is crawling with S.B.D." said Hermione.

"All the more reason for you to go back to Freckles and the kids." he said showing a bit of concern despite his inebriated status. "It wouldn't do for you to suddenly get attacked while in my company."

Hermione noted how much Regulus sounded like his Potions Professor father in that instant.

"I don't believe you're apart of them you know." she said. "Ron was just grasping at straws because he was jealous of you."

"Obviously." replied Regulus rolling his eyes.

Hermione did her best to stifle a giggle.

"What?" asked Regulus arching his brow as a serious expression filed across his pale face.

"You look like your father." replied Hermione. "Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference."

"In that case..." said Regulus narrowing his obsidian eyes and glaring at Hermione. "Miss Granger I suggest you make your hasty retreat back to your home before you place yourself in more needless danger."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh this time.

"You'd better stop that before you give some poor sod a heart attack." she said amused.

Regulus couldn't help but smile at her.

"To be serious, Hermione...I'll be fine...I just needed to blow off a little steam." he said. "If you still want my help against the bathrobe squad I'll be there."

The amber eyed witch seemed relieved.

"Thank you, Regulus." she said. "I know it's not easy to work with us given how you feel about Harry and Ron."

"You and Red have nothing to do with how stupid they are." he said. "Besides, I kind of like making Freckles realize how smokin' hot his wife is."

Hermione's cheeks turned red.

"Be careful out here." she said.

"Will do." replied Regulus. "And just to put your mind at ease, I was on my way to Malfoy Manor."

"Good." said the witch with a serious expression on her face. "The Malfoys may have their faults but they loved your father like he was one of their own and I have every confidence that they'd love you too."

"They already do it seems." replied Regulus. "Catch you some other time Beautiful."

Hermione shook her head, she would have to find some way to deal with all these strange new compliments.

She had been gone the instant the sound of thunder crackled where she once stood leaving the son of Severus Snape behind.

Regulus sighed more calm than before since her little visit.

"Still fuckin' hot." he muttered before turning his attention to getting his hands on more firewhiskey.


	38. Chapter 37:The Crumbling Of An Uneasy A

_**Chapter 37: The Crumbling Of An Uneasy Alliance**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.**_

 _ **{"And I want to rip his heart out...Just for hurting you...And I want to break his mind down...Yes, I do...And I want to make him regret life...Since the day he met you...Yes, I do...And I want to make him take back...All that he took from you...Yes, I do"}Just For, Nickelback**_

 _The Potter Residence, The Burrows, Wizarding World..._

 _ **H**_ arsh blue eyes met those of icy obsidian as Ron Weasley got into the face of Regulus Snape. The plan to ambush the masked wizards in Knockturn alley where they had been so fond of ambushing Order Members had gone array as Ron's increasing mistrust of Regulus Snape got the better of him, especially where Hermione had been concerned.

The ever crude Junior Snape had been slightly drunk from his encounter with a few bottles of firewhiskey and simply spoke what was on his mind. Hermione had known about the American wizard's vulgar mindset for months since their first encounter, mostly due to her walking in on him bedding Ron's favorite whore.

Regulus knew Ron would be angry about his recent liaison with Lucy at the brothel but he couldn't say much about it given he was suppose too be Hermione's husband.

"You got something to say Weasel boy?" asked Regulus knowing all too well the knowledge of him bedding Lucy was eating away at the red head wizard.

"Nothing you haven't heard before greasy git junior." countered Ron.

Regulus narrowed his eyes at the offending wizard.

"What's the matter Weasel afraid I fucked your favorite whore better than you could?" said the raven haired wizard.

Ron attempted to keep a lid on his boiling temper.

"This is not what we came to discuss." he said fixing his glasses.

Regulus turned his attention to Harry Potter.

"Well...well..." he said in a mocking tone. "The Head Geek speaks."

"Knock it off Regulus." said Harry lowering his eyes at him.

"And just what are you going to do if I don't?" asked Regulus shifting his focus to Harry.

"Listen...it's been a long night and you boys are getting a bit testy..." began Ginny.

"Stay out of this Gin." said Ron balling his fists. "Apparently, this git needs to learn some manners."

"You want to rumble freckles?" asked Regulus not at all impressed by the so called display of toughness on the part of the red head wizard.

Hermione noted the intense rage behind Regulus' eyes and grabbed him by the hand. She pulled him out of the house and into the open field. Embittered about his wife's closeness to this strange wizard, Ron stormed out of the house after them.

"Icarus!" shouted Hermione.

Regulus looked at the beautiful witch confused.

"I'm sorry." he said feeling a bit of shame at his drunken behavior.

Hermione touched his cheek.

"It's fine." she said with a sigh. "Ron can be really thick at times...he doesn't realize the damage he's caused to our marriage so he tries to pretend it's someone else's fault."

"Why stick around?" asked Regulus confused. "He clearly doesn't deserve or respect you."

"I'd have to say at this point that it's mostly for the children." she said sadly. "It wouldn't do for them to be burdened with the workings of my failed marriage at such young ages."

Regulus nodded.

"I get that." he said. "I really do...possibly more than you know given what happened with my parents."

Hermione found herself intrigued by this.

"If you don't mind me asking...what was your mother like?" she asked. "I've always been curious to the sort of person Professor Snape would have been interested in enough to start a family with."

Regulus sighed.

"She was a good woman." he said finding sadness creep into his tone. "She never stopped loving him not even on the day she died."

"I'm sorry." said Hermione sighing as well.

"Don't be." replied Regulus with a sad smile. "I wish you could have met her."

"So do I." agreed the slightly saddened witch.

Regulus looked up at the clear night sky.

"He was always different when he was around her." he said. "Sometimes, I'd watch them for hours trying to understand how two completely different people could wind up together and be so in love one moment then Dad would go out of his way to distance himself from her."

"Perhaps he was simply trying to protect her." replied Hermione knowing all too well how some of her former Potions Professor's antics came into question over the years.

"She wasn't magical." admitted Regulus almost fondly. "But she did her best with us."

"I wouldn't doubt it." replied Hermione politely.

The great beating of wings had gotten their collective attention as Icarus landed.

Regulus sighed looking over Hermione once more.

"I'll still help you, you know." he said. "But coming back here is only a waste of my time...Geek Boy wants to be the big boss and Freckles has a stick up his ass about me being around you."

Hermione tried to keep from laughing.

"That's not very nice Reg." she said.

"Not like I give a shit." he replied with a lazy grin. "If you and Red need me...I'll be there."

Hermione nodded.

"Thanks again." she said.

"Anytime Gorgeous." he replied before hopping on the back of his Leviathan Thunderbird and taking off into the night.

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The Snape Residence, North America, Unknown World...

Regulus had been unsure what to make of his father's drunken rant as he stood in the center of the living room unsure whom he should question first. He had never been to the wizarding world in England nor had he spent very much time there in America. His mother had not spoken a word to him since the drunken elder Snape vanished into the night. She kept to herself cleaning the house for his father's return.

Being told that he had been little more than a mistake on the part of his father not destroying the witch he had taken up with that night was a little disconcerting. A part of him wished to understand why his father had become so cold and the other was simply hurt by the admission long kept from him.

Taking off into the woods, Snape had not known what to think concerning his life at this point and found himself getting acquainted with his old man's stash of firewhiskey. The socially awkward young wizard had taken to the partying scene finding himself confused and unable to get passed that night.

Regulus had taken up with a few "so called friends" in a bid to avoid going home. He had not seen his mother in two years before the news broke that his father had been murdered. He had been getting drunk as per the usual and bedding his fair share of whores when one of them fresh in from England carried a copy of The Daily Prophet.

Half drunk and half guilt ridden, Regulus stumbled into his jeans and took off in the middle of the night in a bid to get to his mother.

The young wizard crashed into the front lawn and raced into the house. At first his mother didn't seem to recognize him believing him to have been his drunken father finally returned to them.

"Severus..." she said pleased to see him return.

"I-It's only me, Mom." said Regulus almost sick from having to be the bearer of terrible news.

"Regulus?" she said confused noting his lengthy raven hair and half naked form.

His obsidian eyes had been filled with so much sorrow it was hard to tell the difference.

Elaine smiled briefly at her son.

"Regulus..."she said softly. "Come...get something to eat.. you look like you've been starving yourself."

The saddened younger wizard shook his head.

"Mom...listen...I'm sorry I took off..." he began.

Elaine simply stroked his cheek.

"Oh no harm done sweetheart, you needed to see the world anyhow." she replied. "I've just been here waiting for you and your father like always...you magical men are always such a mystery to me...always so restless."

"Mom." said Regulus trying to find an easy way to say what he needed to say.

"I'll be he'll be starving when he comes home as well." she continued babbling on. "You know he never really eats at that school and with the war going on for a second time...he's probably as thin as you are by now."

"Mom...please." attempted Regulus. "There's is something I have to tell you."

"I should get everything ready...you know he rarely shaves these days..." continued Elaine seemingly miles away. "And his favorite drink...he'll be so pleased when he comes home."

"Mom, he's not coming back." said Regulus not sure he wanted to end her fantasy so soon.

This seemed to have gotten Elaine's attention.

"How can you say that about your father?" she asked narrowing her dark eyes at her son. "He was simply drunk the last time...he'll come around...he always does when the guilt isn't so bad...he loves us."

Regulus sighed.

"Not this time." he said softly. "Mom...he's gone...the papers say he was killed by Voldemort in the final battle at Hogwarts."

Elaine suddenly fell silent as if her son had given her confirmation on her worst fear.

Against his better judgement, Regulus showed her the paper to further drive home his point. She took it upon herself to read it over and sure enough she came to the small section where it mentioned the list of casualties of the second wizarding war.

{Subsequent traitor and murderer of former Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfic Brian Dumbledore, Severus Sebastian Snape, current Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, listed among the dead at the hands of his own master Voldemort...Harry James Potter among those that witnessed his brutal murder via slashing of his jugular vein and the sicking of the serpent Nagini on him...Potter says Snape was Dumbledore's man despite what rumors of the contrary portray him as...whatever your belief the man whom had single-handedly ended the life of Albus Dumbledore is also dead...}-Rita Skeeter, The Daily Prophet

Elaine dropped the paper onto the floor and it seemed as if all life had been drained from her at that point. Regulus caught his mother before she collapsed onto the ground.

"Severus." had been all she said before losing consciousness.

"Mom." said Regulus frantic as he attempted to rouse her. "Mom please...I can't lose you too."

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Open Sky, Wizarding World...

Regulus had tears streaming down his sallow pale cheeks as he attempted to shelve his memory of the day he found out about his father's murder. He didn't understand why any of it happened given that his father spent so much time appeasing this dark lord and now he had killed him.

Even as a boy, Regulus had never trusted his father's well-fare in England. He was often plagued be night terrors of something terrible happening to the wizard before he reached home again.

Hermione Granger came to mind once again and Regulus found himself calming.

There was no way he'd let Arcturus hurt Hermione the way his father was hurt by Voldemort. He had been a clueless child then unable to protect those he loved as they slipped away one by one. First his baby brother, then his father, and now his mother.

Hermione wouldn't be the next even if it cost his life, he'd ensure that she wouldn't be killed by yet another wizarding world fanatic even if he believed the fanatic had a valid cause in defending his late father's memory for those that mocked and scorned him.

Working with the likes of Potter and Weasley had been a small price to pay to ensure Hermione and Ginny's safety.


	39. Chapter 38:Patrol Duty

_**Chapter 38: Patrol Duty**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.**_

 _ **{"I'm desperate for changing...Starving for truth...I'm Closer to where I Started...Chasing after you...I'm falling even more in love with you...Letting go of all I've held onto...I'm standing here until you make me move...I'm hanging by a moment here with you"}Hanging By A Moment, Lifehouse**_

 _Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World..._

 _ **F**_ ocused obsidian orbs had fallen on a briskly walking Hermione Granger as she inspected the eastern half of Knockturn Alley after splitting the place into sections to get a better advantage over The S.B.D. The location to their hideout had been kept secret thus far, but the majority of their attacks had been in the same area each time.

It wasn't long before Hermione figured out that there must have been a base of operations in the infamously seedy Knockturn Alley or at least a tunnel leading to it. Ron had insisted they keep watch over the Ministry of Magic Offices given that his parents continued to do business there on a regular basis. The last attack had him spooked but his father had refused to be cowed away from the job he loved by yet another dark wizard with a large than life narcissist complex.

Harry had agreed the Ministry Of Magic needed all the able bodies they could get and sided with Ron in a bid to keep his father in law safe. Of course by trade, Hermione was to assist Ginny in watching over the children at Hogwarts.

The determined witch had other ideas of course and true to form she took off toward Knockturn Alley as soon as the boys apparated to the Ministry Of Magic Offices. The belief that she was onto something as far as the hideout for The Infamous B.S.D. was concerned had been her reason for going ahead without them.

Regulus smiled as he approached the swift walking witch curious as to what had commanded her attention to the point of her making the trip without any back up.

"Found something did you Gorgeous?" he asked falling into step rather quickly given his length of leg and easy pace.

"I have reason to believe that the S.B.D. headquarters has an entrance here in Knockturn Alley." she said.

Regulus had come to the same conclusion after being attacked and brought here.

"It's possible." he said recalling the events of that afternoon. "Of course Arcturus is going to be on his guard...he really has it out for you and Geek Boy."

"The feeling is mutual." said Hermione narrowing her amber eyes at the thought of Arcturus waiting in the shadows for her.

Their last encounter had been rather messy and she intended to do away with him and his followers once and for all.

"No arguments here." said Regulus with a smile.

"Good." said Hermione returning his smile briefly.

"So." he said. "Where to?"

"Straight through Arcturus' front door." said Hermione with a determined expression filed across her face.

Both younger Snape and current Mrs. Ron Weasley made their way down a newly discovered tunnel beneath the street in Knockturn Alley.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

The Tunnel, S.B.D. Hideout...

Much to Regulus and Hermione's disappointment, The big cheese had not been present having focused his efforts on his current plan of attack to bring down Harry Potter.

"He isn't here." said Hermione angry that they had missed the chance to take down Arcturus.

"Calm down Gorgeous, we still have quite the opportunity here." said Regulus seeming to take their missed chance in stride.

"How can you be so calm at a time like this?" she asked with an arched brow and given Gryffindor rage.

"Is that a trick question?" asked Regulus with a charming smirk. "Did you even know the old man as well as you think you did?"

Hermione sighed.

Of course Regulus was calm even when faced with disappointment. He had been even more like his late father in that regard.

"Right." said the witch reining in her temper. "I shouldn't be surprised, you were probably a Slytherin from birth."

"Horned-Serpent actually." recalled Regulus fondly before turning his attention toward a stack of parchments on the far desk of what appeared to be a make-shift office. "Father told me it's the equivalent of Ravenclaw for Hogwarts."

"What have you found?" asked Hermione desperately trying to keep from being rude and reading over his shoulder to sate her impatience.

"Looks like some kind of hit list." replied Regulus confused as his obsidian eyes looked over it.

"What does that mean hit list?" she asked becoming more impatient.

"It's a list of names of people they're going to kill." said the son of Severus Snape.

He noted the name Kingsley Shacklebolt and his eyes widened.

"Friend of yours?" he asked handing the list over to the anxious witch.

"Kingsley..." said Hermione in a near whisper. "He's going after the Minister Of Magic again."

"This time he's playing for keeps." said Regulus.

"Ron and Harry are with Kingsley as we speak." said Hermione with her voice filled with concern.

"Then we'll just have to get to them before Arcturus does." said Regulus.

"Agreed." said a determined Hermione.

The two of them followed the path back toward the surface trying to figure out the best route possible to get to Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley.

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The Ministry Of Magic Offices, Wizarding World...

Bursts of wand magic filled the otherwise darkened office as Harry Potter did his best to fiend off the attacks from The S.B.D. The robed wizard's were intent on causing maximum harm as the flaming serpent burrowed through the walls crumbling the heavily polished black and green finish.

"There's too many of them!" shouted Ron giving as good as he had gotten with his own wand before dodging a spell apparently meant to decapitate him as it had cut into the wall above his Weasley red head.

"Keep fighting!" shouted Harry determined. "We can't let them get to Kingsley."

"That's easier said then done mate." replied Ron continuing to put up a fight.

A splash of dust made it nearly impossible to see given the antics of the flaming serpent as Arcturus taunted them from afar.

"Is this the best the wizarding world has to offer?" asked the masked dark wizard. "Is this the limit of the great Harry Potter's power?"

Harry had enough of the dark wizard's taunting and pushed himself from his hiding place and walked out into the open amid the explosions of magical energy and crumbling wall fragments. His emerald green eyes fixated on his challenger almost as if this was a long time coming.

Unbeknownst to Harry, he was vastly out matched by the sadistic Arcturus, whom unlike Voldemort was not destined to be defeated by him. He knew very well that there might be the final bout for him.

Just as the dark wizard aimed his wand, a violent crash had gotten everyone's attention. Regulus Snape leapt into the air and flipped over a puzzled group of battling masked wizards. He aimed his wand striking almost as if on instinct which gave even Harry Potter pause. He had only seen wizarding combat like that once before in his life and he didn't have to guess as to whom the boy's magical instructor had been.

The dark wizard known as Arcturus turned his attention to the more appealing challenge in the form of Regulus Snape.

"This fight is not with you Son of the Serpent." he hissed.

"Well it is now." replied Regulus narrowing his eyes of obsidian at the masked wizard before him.

"So be it." replied Arcturus. "Let's see what you've got."

The two engaged in battle dazzling even Ron Weasley as he and Harry sought to get Kingsley to safety. Hermione had taken out a few of the other masked wizards as she cleared the path for them. In much too much of a hurry to question where she had come from or why Regulus had been there, they followed her instruction until they reached a safe room within the office and kept their heads down.

On the flickering monitors, they witnessed the short battle between Regulus and Arcturus before the latter summoned his flaming serpent and leapt out the window. He clearly had no wish to combat the son of Severus Snape and it brought a lot of questions to mind as to if it had been due to fear or admiration?

"Perhaps the third time is the charm." said Arcturus before disappearing into the night.

Once the remaining S.B.D. had cleared out, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger-Weasley, and Ron Weasley emerged from the room with a fully alive Minister of Magic.

"What's he doing here?" asked Ron getting into a huff as he glared at Regulus Snape.

"Don't worry about thanking me Freckles I was just leaving." said Regulus before making his way toward the broken wall and leaping out into the open only to be scooped up by his Leviathan Thunderbird.

"Honestly Ronald, the man saves your life and this is how you repay him?" asked Hermione angrily.

"I didn't need his help." muttered Ron bitterly. "Harry and I had it under control."

Harry sighed wishing he had been on better terms with the only son of his Potions Professor. It seemed heroics without thanks ran in the Snape family.

"Come on." he said sadly. "Let's get home...Kingsley can stay with us for a while until we can arrange protection for him."

"It's obvious this wizard isn't going to give up until I am dead." said The current Minister of Magic. "Perhaps it would be best to steer clear of your family Harry."

"Nonsense Kingsley." replied Harry seemingly shocked at the Minister Of Magic's words. "You are family."

With various cracks of thunder resounding in the distance, the four of them headed for the burrows while the fast flying Regulus Snape headed in a vastly different direction. He had yet to venture to Hogwarts Castle to see the final resting place of his long deceased father.


	40. Chapter 39:The Harsh Reality Of Talking

_**Chapter 39: The Harsh Reality Of Talking Portraits**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.**_

 _ **{"With your imagination and emotions running wild...Fueling my frustrations like a fire burning, clock keeps turning...And I, I know it's getting underneath your skin...I've tried to tell you now...Don't look over your shoulder...'Cause that's just the ghost of me...You're seeing in your dreams...Wait, there's no rhyme or reason...Sometimes there's no meaning...In the visions when you're sleepin'...Don't wake up and believe them...You're looking at the ghost of me..."} Ghost Of Me, Daughtry**_

 _The Corridors, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World..._

 _ **N**_ umerous narrowed eyes glared at spawn of Severus Snape as he moved as briskly through the lengthy corridors of Hogwarts like his late father the former Headmaster. He had been accompanied by Albus Severus Potter whom had made a point not to leave his side ever since he saw him at the gate. Scorpius Malfoy had also tagged along more out of curiosity and concern for Albus Severus than for fear of the strange wizard doing harm to anyone.

The youngest member of the Malfoy clan had been amazed to note that this stranger knew his father and grandfather. It was quite intriguing that he even insisted they were practically family although the youngest Malfoy did not recall seeing him around the breakfast table when he was a smaller child.

The boys had done their best to ensure the trip had gone off without a hitch, going so far as to steal the legendary Marauders Map from James Sirius Potter and making sure that Headmistress McGonagall was in a meeting with the other Professors and Staff. Filch had not been much for chasing about young wayward students and well he mostly neglected rounding up the Slytherin students saying it was his duty to carry on the tradition of adjusting the pecking order for "The Boy" whomever that had been.

It was essentially a clear shot to the Headmistress' office. Not much has changed about it since the days of Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape well not much had changed since the days of Albus Dumbledore given that Snape's reign was more or less one of terror and no one wished to recall how he ruled the school with such an iron grip that the place lost most of it's magical charm and vibrant color.

Truth be told it was little more than a concentration camp for the magically adept in Snape's hands but to be fair the Potions Professor had not wished for such a weighted responsibility, he had been prepared to do battle from the shadows and even on the field if only to gain the chance to be free of both his ruling masters and return home to his wife and child only to be thwarted by Draco Malfoy being chosen to murder Albus Dumbledore.

Bringing down the despot had not been the responsibility of the innocent boy despite him being the son of Lucius Malfoy, whom had been tasked long ago with such a duty but it could not have been performed from the cell he had at Azkaban.

So that left only one.

Severus Snape was all that was left to carry on with the oath he took while he had still been a young wizard with aspirations beyond the walls of Hogwarts or the limited scope of wizarding England.

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Headmistress' Office, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...

The heavy double oak wood doors of Albus Dumbledore's former Office opened and Regulus stepped inside finding himself amid the shocked gasps from the numerous lines of Headmasters that had taken office in this very room.

His raven hair and pale flesh had been quite an indicator as to whom he had come to see as they all turned their attention to the massive portrait on the far left corner of the room. It was clear that whomever occupied this office had not wished to look upon the face of the former Headmaster despite his term being the shortest in history, he was no doubt legendary in his own right.

The twinkling blue eyes of the Headmaster before him had been fixed on the younger version of the former Potions Professor. Regulus recognized him instantly as Albus Dumbledore the former Headmaster of Hogwarts Castle and his father's employer.

"So this is young Regulus." said Dumbledore looking over at Snape as if he had discovery his well kept secret long ago.

"What are you doing here boy?" hissed Snape narrowing his obsidian eyes at him.

"I came to see you old man." replied Regulus with more or less the same expression.

The seemingly strange scene had gotten the full attention of the other Headmasters who gasped when presented with the boy's accent.

"He's a bloody American." said one of them astonished.

"What magical school did he attend?" asked another.

"Ilvermorny." replied Regulus not taking his eyes off his father.

The wizard had looked more or less as he did when he last saw him alive.

"Severus...when did you find time to sire a son?" asked Headmaster Phineas Black.

"My personal life is none of your business old man." muttered the portrait of Severus Snape in annoyance.

He turned his attention back to the young adult his son had become in his absence.

"Why have you come here boy?" asked Snape still wishing to know the answer to his original question.

"I told you I came to see you old man." replied Regulus balling his fists.

"So you've seen me." said Snape not at all wishing to entertain his son's idiotic notions of closure.

"Father..." began Regulus not knowing what he wished to say to the wizard at all now that he had been in front of him.

Finding out this talking portrait nonsense had been true was a shock in it of itself.

"Interesting name, Regulus?"said Dumbledore looking at Snape. "I believe your namesake was the great great grandson of our Phineas Black."

The former Slytherin headmaster looked over the younger Snape with a small sense of pride behind his dark gaze.

"Why Severus...I am flattered that you would name your own boy after..." Phineas had been at a loss for words for a moment. "My grandson...Regulus."

Snape had not been one for sentiment even in death.

"Are you quite finished?" he asked annoyed.

Phineas sighed.

"Pay him no mind boy...his temper his as it was when they painted the portrait I'm afraid." he said in sympathy.

"He's been this way for as long as I can remember, or rather when it comes to talking to me." said Regulus once more looking at his father.

Before the younger Snape could utter another word the impatient former Potions Professor utilized his former magical gifts to gain more information on the boy from the passed nineteen years.

Regulus found himself struggling against the invasion briefly before Snape smashed passed his wards.

The rapid images of his life following the conclusion of the second wizarding war came flooding to the surface. His mother's slow decent into depression and the end result of her tragic death caused the elder Snape to pull back from the mental connection. He had not been expecting that in the least and it clearly had a tremendous affect on him.

"Once a foolish girl always a foolish girl." he muttered before turning away from everyone watching him.

"Severus?" said Dumbledore concerned for a moment.

Snape sighed letting the images burn into his painted mind before he turned his attention back to his son.

"Leave here." he hissed rather angrily. "There is nothing more for you here."

"Father who is Arcturus?" asked Regulus balling his fists.

"What?" asked Snape with an arched brow.

"Who is Arcturus?" asked Regulus once more. "And why does he see it as his personal mission to avenge you?"

"How the hell should I know?" asked Snape confused as he looked over his son. "The last perosn I knew to be named Arcturus was Regulus Black, your uncle and name sake."

"Y-You don't think it's him?" asked Regulus attempting to make sense of all of this.

"For Merlin's sake boy...Regulus Black was killed before you were born...if you need conformation just ask Potter, he and Albus found his body." said Snape still very much annoyed.

Regulus Snape had been stunned by these words as he looked over at the blue eyed elder wizard whom had been studying him it seemed.

"You carry your father's abrasive spirit." he said almost fondly. "But you also bare your mother's sweetness and that is your saving grace."

"My father's intellect was my saving grace old man." said Regulus knowing exactly whom it was he was speaking to. "I came here to talk to my father but it seems this was a wasted trip."

"Not wasted." replied Dumbledore with a sad smile. "He wished to see you even if he doesn't act like it...he wished to know of your fate and that of your mothers although from the look on his face...she did not make it?"

Regulus shook his head.

He turned his attention back to his father whom had left his portrait.

"Some things never change." he muttered before turning and walking out of the office.

As the boy had gone, Albus Dumbledore turned his attention toward Snape's portrait.

"That boy loves you." he said. "And he's hurting a great deal."

Snape's Portrait sighed as he sat down looking as exhausted as he had been in life. He seemed to age a bit more following the discovery of his wife's death from his son's mind.

"What can I do about it old man?" he asked. "My time has come and gone...he's going to have to get passed this himself."

Dumbledore's blue eyes flickered as young Albus Severus ventured into the office.

"Maybe not." said the former Headmaster with a sad knowing smile.


	41. Chapter 40:The Outskirts Of Sanity

**_Chapter 4O: The Outskirts Of Sanity_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 ** _{A/N: Here's Another Update...some of you readers are much too smart for your own good...Lol...}_**

 ** _{"_ _Have I ever thought of this before...Did I ever look behind the door...Have I ever tried to understand...Did I listen to the Other hand...Have I ever tried to see...Parts of you that aren't a part of me...Did I ever really want to know...Or am I just drifting with the flow...Lead me to the angle of your life...Let me see from there...Lead me to the angle and I'll try...To see the world from there...Why is it that I'm so full of hate...Why am I so dumb but so afraid...Have I ever tried to understand...Did I listen to the other hand...Why am I so dumb (Why am I so dumb)...Why am I so blind...So Narrow Minded...Why am I so dumb (Why am I so dumb).._. _"}The Angle,Core_**

 _Unknown Location, Forbidden Forest, Wizarding World..._

Fuming and at a loss as to what to do with himself next, Regulus Snape took off from Hogwarts Castle with more questions than answers in terms of his father's strange behavior the last time he had seen him, while the younger Snape had known his father was accused of murdering former Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, it was later retracted by Harry Potter when the former Boy who lived petitioned the Wizarding community to place Severus Snape's Portrait in the Headmaster's Office as befitting a wizard whom had presided over the school during the dark days of Voldemort's short reign.

The urge to drink had hit the younger Snape full on and he contemplated returning to Hogshead Inn to have one. Knowing all too well that he'd be mistaken for his father and a fight would ensue, Regulus set a course for Spinner's End almost immediately.

He had not known why his father's portrait had been so eager to get rid of him and at this point he had not even bothered to care. It was exhausting trying to sift through the nonsense just to have a moment of peace again. His mother was gone. She had spent the better part of her life pining for a man whom had never deserved her love or her kindness especially when he had admitted to raping her for the sake of a revel to impress his twisted murdering peers.

Regulus balled his fists as he landed angry that he had even been born to such a monster as Severus Snape. He honestly didn't see the hold the old bastard had on women like Hermione Granger and his long suffering mother and why they believed there was good in someone so twisted to the point of blind worship.

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 _The Snape Residence,Spinner's End, Muggle World..._

Broke glass greeted Regulus as he ventured into the house his father had been born in. The impoverish Snape family of old had all perished leaving only him as the decedent to occupy such a shit hole structure. While it was true the Malfoys had accepted him and given him a place within their mansion despite the place seeing better days prior to the war, The embittered young wizard wished to sit in the darkness of his father's sitting room and drown his sorrows in a bottle of Ogren's Finest Firewhiskey.

The icy words stemming from his late father's portrait had burned their way into the darkest recesses of the young Snape's weary mind and brought forth his sorrow tenfold. He could not understand what he had done to make the wizard whom had been center of his and his late mother's universe despise him but it was clear that he was not worthy in the eyes of his own father even in the form of a Headmaster's portrait.

Regulus allowed the familiar warmth from the firewhiskey to spread through his weary body as his emotional exhaustion continued to take hold of him. The hurt from rejection had not been anything new to him but it seemed to grow more profound none the less.

The old muggle adage Like father, like son seemed to apply in this case as Regulus Snape found himself being pushed to the bring given his emotional condition and drowning his seemingly ever present sorrows in the harsh burning sensation of Firewhiskey.

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 ** _The Snape Residence, Spinner's End, Muggle World (1997)..._**

 ** _Echos of shattered glass filled the otherwise silent house aside from the crackle of the roaring fire in the fireplace that had been the only source of light in the darkened dilapidated brick house. The Potions Professor had been shirtless as he stood in the center of the room, an enormous amount of firewhiskey running through his veins as he glared at his own miserable shadow._**

 ** _"Damn you Albus!" he shouted knowing full well that he was in too deep to ever escape the madness that surrounded him._**

 ** _He had gotten up for the old threadbare armchair that sat in the center of the sitting room, it had belonged to his father at one time before the inferior muggle met a most unfortunate end following his only son's initiation into the Death Eater Ranks._**

 ** _The images of his wife and young son flooded his weary mind as he came to the astounding conclusion that he would never get the chance to rejoin them following the war's end. The agonized wizard had barely spent enough time with his only son as it was and now that he was twenty, just shy of the age he had been before he made the worst mistake of his life...the age where even he had been at his most impressionable, it was difficult to stay away._**

 ** _Regulus was a wonder, a beautiful child gifted to him when he knew next to nothing of how to appreciate him. The only living proof of whatever good that remained in him had been in that small boy and as such he vowed to do his utmost to protect him._**

 ** _It had been all too clear to Severus Snape at the time that in order to protect his wife and son he had to remain as far away from them as he could possibly get._**

 ** _The drunken Potions Master collapsed unable to stay on his feet as a result of the weighted sorrow in combination with the numerous rounds of firewhiskey he had consumed in his anguish._**

 ** _It had been a long while since he allowed his agony to boil to the surface without the impulsive need to mask it for the sake of survival among the cold and ruthless of the wizarding world._**

 ** _He knew from the moment the events had been set in motion that brought about the deaths of Lily and James Potter that he would endure suffering beyond anything he could have ever imagined...it simply had forgotten the price of his ignorance in his youth and it had now been time for collection._**

 ** _Elaine's alluring brown eyes had been the last image seeped into his weary mind before he full succumbed to the wave of unconsciousness that had swept over him._**

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 _The Sitting Room,Spinner's End, Muggle World..._

As a drunken Regulus Snape lied on his back with his pale eye lids closed despite the small streams of tear cascading down his pale cheeks, the amber eyes of one Hermione Jean Granger-Weasley had been witness to the mess his life had become in the wake of his visit to see his father's portrait.

The sorrowful witch sighed taking pity on the weary son of her former Potions Professor. She noted the blood from his arm and side being cut via the broken glass that surrounded his rather impressively sculpted body.

Hermione wondered briefly if this was how Severus Snape had been during those final days in the war following Dumbledore's death and no one knew it. It stood to reason the dour wizard would have some reaction to having to murder his long time employer and it was doubly tragic to note that he had been worlds away from his only family.

Raising her wand, the witch set to work mending the broken glass and tidying the mess her grief-stricken friend had unleashed before succumbing to his drunkenness and passing out in the center of his father's sitting room.

The next order of business had been to get him into bed. There was much work to be done as far as locating the S.B.D. had been concerned and she needed Regulus in prime condition.


	42. Chapter 41:Realm Of Question

**_Chapter 41: Realm Of Question_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 _Severus Snape's Bedroom,The Snape Residence, Spinner's End, Muggle World..._

 **S** izzling meat had gotten the attention of the drunken Regulus Snape as he struggled to get out of bed. The unfamiliar warmth of the sheets had been most unwelcome as he shifted until his obsidian eyes sprang open. He had not recalled going to bed the previous night and the pounding headache was a sure fire sign that he had not put himself here. Despite the minor aches and brief bout of nausea, the younger Snape managed to pull back the sheets of his father's former bed and make his way into the narrow hall.

The sound had been constant as he moved rather slowly through the narrow hall toward the equally narrow staircase that lead to the first floor of the old dilapidated brick house his father had spent his miserable childhood years in.

Pale bare feet moved along the slightly chilled hardwood floor covered with dust and untouched by the bare flesh of any mortal in a great many years before the curious wizard moved toward the otherwise abandoned kitchen.

The sound of shuffling and dishes being moved had gotten his attention as he attempted to summon his wand but found he could hardly concentrate on the spell to guide it to him given his pounding headache. Instead, Regulus moved stealthily into the kitchen finding himself stunned by the sight of Hermione Granger apparently making herself right at home as it were.

"What are you doing here?" asked Regulus with an arched brow.

Upon hearing his deep baritone voice, Hermione had been startled into dropping a small pot that she carried. Her amber eyes widened and she couldn't help but smile at the innocent confusion that filed across Regulus Snape's face.

"Well good afternoon to you too." she said pleasantly.

"You never answered my question witch." said the younger Snape moving toward the table and snatching up a freshly baked roll with his lengthy pale fingers and ripping it apart as if he had been hired to do some sort of food commercial.

Hermione sighed.

"Well, I came here to talk about the other locations on that list." explained the amber eyed witch. "When I got here you were blind drink and sleeping on a floor amid broken glass and spilled whiskey."

Regulus had not been able to recall what had been the cause of his antics but continued to chew the roll he had taken.

"So what...you thought you'd stick around and play house?" he asked getting to his feet.

"Well...I noticed that your cupboards were bare and that the fridge was empty." said the witch finding herself growing a bit uncomfortable with his intense gaze.

Regulus got to his feet and walked over toward her. He had been feeling a bit better given his motivation and would stop at nothing to enjoy his time with the witch he had been trying to get into his arms.

"Thought I'd starve to death did you?" he asked smiling as she tried to keep from reacting to his being so close to her.

"I thought about being civil you git." said Hermione trying not to pay any attention to the bulging muscular definition of his pale bare chest.

"You know what I think?" he asked still teasing her.

"No." replied Hermione attempting to pull away.

"I think you just missed me." replied Regulus with a flicker of heat behind his obsidian eyes.

"I just saw you the day before." said Hermione in her own defense.

"Mmmhmm." replied Regulus. "The what's with this home cooked meal and the putting me to bed...if that's all you did that is."

"Are you accusing me of fondling your person while you were asleep?" she asked narrowing her amber eyes at him.

"All I'm saying is I didn't put myself to bed." said Regulus teasing her a bit more before bursting into laughter.

"Git." said Hermione moving toward the stove and taking the fried meat off the fire.

"What's that?" asked Regulus noting the skillet she brought into view.

"Sausage." replied Hermione. "And before you say anything I do have a hot frying pan in my hands."

Regulus held up his hands in surrender as the witch piled a plate high with food and placed it in front of him.

"How are the kids?" asked the raven haired wizard chewing another roll.

"They're fine...we're doing all we can to keep them safe." replied Hermione getting serious once more.

"Look...about that list..it's not definite you know they could choose their targets at random." said Regulus.

"Finding out who their targeting is still more of a step toward offering protection than going at this blindly." replied Hermione.

Regulus sighed.

She did have a point.

But he had gotten the feeling that a wizard like Arcturus wouldn't just leave something convenient lying about in his hideout for her to find...being sloppy wasn't something he'd normally do.

"Unless he wanted you to find his list." said Regulus coming to a realization. "It would enable him to know exactly where you'd all be going and choose which targets to ambush you from."

Hermione's eyes widened.

"I hadn't even considered how convenient this all seemed." she admitted feeling a bit foolish for thinking everything about this war had been so cut and dried.

Hermione had no idea what to make of the way things were going as far as this new war was going.

"This is worse than the last time." she muttered trying to get a hold on herself. "It was much easier to live through a war when I was a child but having young children myself..."

Regulus had not known what it must have been like for her at that moment but he made it a point to look out for the anguished witch and her children despite the fact that he detested Ron Weasley.

"Listen...take the list back and discuss it with geek boy." said Regulus summoning the parchment to him via wand-less magic. "I'll catch up with you both later."

"A-Are you sure?" asked Hermione confused about his sudden change of heart.

"I'm sure." replied Regulus. "I just need a few days to get myself together."

"Why were you getting so drunk before?" asked Hermione changing the subject back to the raven haired American wizard.

"Let's just say I'm dealing with some family stuff." replied Regulus. "Something between me and the old man..."

"H-Have you been to Hogwarts?" asked Hermione unsure how to approach this topic. "If not I don't recommend you going there."

"Why not?" asked Regulus with a brow arched in curiosity.

"He didn't have the best reputation there and not to mention how inaccurate his portrait is." said continued the amber eyed witch.

"No...I'd say it's very accurate as far as speaking to me goes." replied Regulus moving toward the old steel fridge.

"What do you mean?" asked Hermione.

"I went to Hogwarts, it's an impressive place I can see where one would find it enchanting...Ilvermorny is sort of the same just the American version with less of the fancy color scheme." said Regulus taking an ice cold soda from the fridge. "My old man and I didn't see eye to eye the last time he came home...it's no big deal."

"That doesn't make any sense." said Hermione not believing this about Snape for a moment.

"Hey...how many ways can the guy reject me?" asked Regulus seemingly alright with the way things had turned out. "He's been dead for years what's the point of dwelling on a portrait?"

"That doesn't make any sense...Harry said that." began Hermione before stopping herself.

The sudden pause had gotten Regulus' attention.

"Harry?" he said scanning her mind rather quickly. "Geek boy has my father's memories."

Hermione nodded.

"So he's the only one that knows what the old man was thinking when..." began Regulus. "Where is he?"

"The Burrows...I was just on my way to speak with him." said the amber eyed witch.

"Then he just got one more guest." said Regulus in a rather serious tone.


	43. Chapter 42:When Pranks Go Wrong

**_Chapter 42: When Pranks Go Wrong_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 _The Grounds,Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World..._

 **B** y the time both Hermione and Regulus arrived at Harry's place, the green eyed wizard had been in a uproar. When questioned rather briefly he muttered about something being wrong with Albus Severus before taking off with a crackle of thunder. Regulus had been concerned about the boy as well and took off after Harry in a bid to understand what was wrong with the kid. Hermione had gone after them unsure either on of them were in the right frame of mind to handle the situation.

Once the three of them arrived, Headmistress McGonagall had greeted both her former Gryffindors warmly but her green eyes narrowed once she caught sight of Regulus. The American wizard had the feeling she was sizing him up because of his father more so than because he was a stranger.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger I'm glad you're here." said the elder witch as she shifted her focus to Regulus.

He noticed that she seemed to cringe when noting his obsidian eyes. There had only been one wizard with such eyes and he was supposedly dead for nineteen years.

"Whom might this young man be?" asked Minerva McGonagall still noting the all too familiar features of this strange young wizard in her presence.

She had personally driven Severus Snape out of Hogwarts in the wake of the war's climax and had done so in retaliation for his murdering of Albus Dumbledore, he oldest and dearest friend. and the sight of this strange younger wizard had her itching to draw her wand.

Harry sighed.

"Professor McGonagall this is Regulus." he replied. "He's a friend of the family."

Resisting the urge to insist that he had been no friend of Harry Potter's, Regulus turned his attention back to the formidable elder witch before him. She had been an impressive sight and her expression as stern as his father's had been.

Severus Snape had spoken once of the most formidable woman he had ever known and his admiration for her. He had even admitted that she had been his former Professor when he attended Hogwarts.

"Has there been any change?" asked Harry Potter changing the subject back to the conversation about his youngest son.

"No." replied the elder Headmistress with sadness. "I'm afraid he's remained mute and terrified ever since we found him in the shrieking shack."

Hermione's eyes widened.

Regulus had not understood what was happening.

"Who would do such a thing?" she asked in horror. "It's a well known fact that ever since Snape was murdered in that place no one has dared venture there."

This was the first time Regulus had heard about the place where his father had been killed.

"M-My father was murdered there?" he asked with his expression turning harsh and his eyes of obsidian flickering with a mix of rage and curiosity.

Hermione had almost forgotten that Regulus knew very little about Hogwarts and the final battle for that matter.

"You're father?" said the shocked voice of Headmistress McGonagall.

Regulus met her green eyed gaze as it turned cold.

"Yes." he replied not at all ashamed. "I am the son of Severus Snape."

The look of utter disgust filed across the elder witch's face as the air of mistrust grew thick around them.

"Why have you brought him here?" asked the Headmistress.

"He's a friend of the family." replied Harry as if pleading with his former Professor to forgo her anger for a man that had long since been dead.

"So was Albus." she said narrowing her gaze at Regulus once more.

"Regulus grew up in America Professor McGonagall." said Hermione. "He knew next to nothing about the wizarding war nor his own father...you can't judge him based on the actions perceived at the time...even Professor Snape was innocent."

"He still killed Albus." replied Minerva stubbornly. "No matter how it came to be Albus is dead because of Severus Snape."

"And Severus Snape is dead because of Voldemort." said Harry not budging on this one. "Regulus is a good bloke...he's only concerned about Albus Severus...otherwise he wouldn't be here."

Finally convinced that the younger Snape had not been there to get vengeance for his deceased father, Headmistress McGonagall allowed them into the Hogwarts and escorted them to the infirmary where Albus Severus was being looked after following the incident in the shrieking shack.

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

 _The Infirmary, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World..._

Albus Severus Potter had been staring at the ceiling in the Hogwarts Infirmary for hours since he was taken out of the shrieking shack and placed into the care of Med-Witch Madam Poppy Pomfrey.

He seemed to trust her as she moved her wand along examining his person in pursuit of something physically wrong with him. She could find no such evidence and remained puzzled as to what had been ailing the poor boy.

While it was true that he had been born a Potter, Albus Severus reminded her so much of her former constant ward that she had to reexamine his files to recall him being the child of Harry Potter.

As she concluded her final test, said wizard walked in with a look of worry filed across his face that seemed to make him age seven years. His emerald green eyes remained fixated on his youngest son.

Albus Severus Potter had been ghastly pale and his emerald green eyes seemed hollowed and empty as he stared at nothing ignoring the presence of those around him. His unkempt hair had been down to his shoulders suggesting he had not bothered with personal grooming since he arrived at Hogwarts. And he seemed to have gotten a lit thinner since Harry and Hermione saw him last. Regulus had not been paying much attention to the boy's physical appearance when he first came to Hogwarts in search of his father's portrait and even he was startled by his appearance.

"Albus." he said in calm and father-like tone despite being terrified for his boy. "Albie it's going to be alright...daddy's here."

Harry Potter's heartfelt words seemed to have fallen on deaf ears as Albus Severus Potter ignored his sorrowful father and stared out into space.

"Albus Severus." said Hermione concerned for her nephew. "D-Do you know where you are?"

Again the boy did not reply.

"You alright kid?" asked Regulus with an arched brow.

Albus Severus turned to see the young raven haired wizard he had been most familiar with. He pulled back the covers despite his weakened state and hugged the unsuspecting younger Snape.

Both Harry and Hermione were at a loss for words as Albus Severus seemed to only be able to respond to Regulus Snape in his rather vulnerable state.

"I want to go home." said the boy almost frantically. "Please take me home...I have to see her."

Regulus looked at Harry whom had been just as confused as he was.

"I-I don't know what you're asking me to do." said the confused American wizard.

"I have to see her." repeated Albus Severus as if he had been in some sort of trance. "She's waiting for me."

"Wait...calm down who is she?" asked Regulus.

"Please." begged Albus Severus on the verge of tears. "I promised her I'd be there..."

Harry seemed to have heard enough as he got to his feet. Madam Pomfrey had fished a sleeping potion from the potions stores and had it ready.

The green eyed wizard pulled Albus Severus off Regulus whom had been watching the scene unfold in absolute shock.

"Regulus please...she needs me." said the boy fighting with Harry Potter to avoid the sleeping potion. "I promised her..."

Once the sleeping potion had been administered, Albus Severus glared rather murderously at Harry before turning his emerald green gaze on Regulus.

"Please tell her I love her..." he said before falling into a coma like sleep.

"Well, he was a lot calmer this time." said Harry Potter whom had not been surprised about his son's antics.

Regulus looked at him in confusion.

"Why are you so calm about all of this?" he asked unsure if he would be in the same situation.

"Albus Severus has been having these episodes since he was born." replied Harry looking over his sleeping son. "We tried everything to treat them even gone to advanced potions masters on for nothing to work."

Hermione sighed looking over her sleeping nephew.

"He gets like this in moments of severe stress." said she said sadly. "I think when he was locked in the shrieking shack he panicked and it set him off again."

Regulus looked over at the sleeping boy.

This wasn't the first time Albus Severus had acted strangely in his presence, his thoughts had gone back to his father's house and how he refused to enter the kitchen muttering about someone being murdered there.

"You think he see's spirits?" asked the confused American wizard.

"No." replied Harry with a weighted sigh. "But I try hard to keep an close eye on him."

"So that's why you coddle him more than the other boy." said Regulus noting Harry's shift in stance.

"I do not coddle my son." said the green eyed wizard sternly. "He doesn't even like to be touched for Merlin's sake...Ginny and I never get him to engage much in anything aside from Potions...Ginny was proficient but I was rather terrible at it so he more or less spends time on his own."

Hermione patted her friend on the shoulder.

"He'll be alright Harry." she said in a bid to comfort her best friend.

"I hope so." replied the green eyed father.

"What was he talking about?" asked Regulus more to himself than to the others. "He kept saying her...who is HER?"

"I don't know." replied Harry. "We never knew...she could be a child he met and or a friend..."

"You think she's here at Hogwarts?" asked Hermione with an arched brow. "Perhaps he's gotten himself a girlfriend."

Regulus took another look at the sleeping boy in the infirmary bed.

He doubted very much that this had been the case but something about the words the boy spoke seemed to unnerve him.

 _"She's waiting for me?"_

 _"I Promised Her..."_

With a sigh the younger Snape thought it best to take his leave knowing all too well that this situation was much too heavy for his liking and he was in need of a strong drink and a willing whore.

He left Hogwarts with a resounding crack of thunder unable to get the questions pertaining to Albus Severus Potter's strange condition out of his mind.

Just who was the _HER_ he spoke of and why did he sound so urgent in needing to see her. There was a possibility he did have a girlfriend, he was the son of infamous wizarding Hero Harry Potter after all but it didn't seem to fit right with the boy's lackluster personality. Unable to make sense of it, Regulus focused his attention on securing his vices for the evening. This was shaping up to be a rather difficult day to say the least.


	44. Chapter 43:The Pull Of Love's Reins

**_**Chapter 43: The Pull Of Love's Reins**_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 ** _The Kitchen,The Snape Residence, Unknown World..._**

 **It had taken quite a bit of effort to get Regulus to go to sleep. The stubborn young wizard had insisted on being in his father's arms as he drifted off hoping it would make him stay despite the attempt being futile. Elaine had been in the kitchen when Severus put the boy to bed smiling as the seven year old slept with his tiny fist balled and his raven hair against his pillow.**

 **Taking a moment to relish his minor victory, Severus Snape smiled down at his son and gently tussled his lengthy hair.**

 **"Sleep well little prince." he said before leaving his son's bedroom and venturing into the kitchen where his wife was hard at work clearing away the remains of their supper for the evening.**

 **Elaine Snape had been content with her modest life raising her son with the means provided to her by her husband. The revelation of him being a Professor at a prestigious Magical School had given them a sense of normalcy. When he had been absent she knew he had been teaching and she was pleased to not he had been safe within the wizarding world.**

 **With Voldemort gone and Severus with steady employment they lived rather comfortable in their equally modest home far from the perceived threats of their past and able to concentrate on their future.**

 **"Let me assist you." said Snape moving over toward the kitchen sink as his wife washed the remaining dishes and he rinsed them.**

 **Normally Elaine would object siting that she wanted him to rest but he remained intent on assisting her. The two of them washed and dried the remainder of the dishes and went about ensuring the kitchen was neat and tidy.**

 **Once the job had been complete, Snape noted how truly exhausted his wife appeared for the first time since he arrived. He walked up behind her as she finished wiping of the counter top and began to massage her weary shoulders.**

 **"How long have you been running yourself ragged woman?" he asked in a low voice that sent chills down her spine.**

 **"Hmmm." purred the slowly relaxing woman as she surrendered herself to her husband's antics. "All my life it seems."**

 **Snape sighed.**

 **"You deserve better." he said continuing to ease the ache of her shoulders.**

 **"I have you." she replied. "You and our son is all that matters...you both are all that have ever mattered to me."**

 **"I will never understand you woman." said Snape giving his wife a half smile.**

 **"But I will always understand you wizard." replied Elaine turning to face him.**

 **There was an expression of love on her face that he had no right to witness. She smiled at him and took him by the hand silently leading him out of the now cleaned kitchen and into their shared bedroom.**

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 ** _The Master Bedroom, The Snape Residence, Unknown Location..._**

 **Severus Snape had not taken his eyes off his beautiful wife as she lead him by the hand toward their shared black four poster bed. Severus couldn't get over how strange this muggle woman had been. If the wizarding world had known about their marriage the consequences would have been severe given the nature of their union.**

 **Elaine had been worlds away from her own family and outlived the group of friends she's had since she was a child only to end up in a strange country with a wizard for a husband and an equally magically inclined son, Yet she was here making the best of it despite hardly ever seeing her husband given his assignment to Hogwarts Castle and recent imprisonment in Azkaban.**

 **"I've missed you so much." she said softly as the young Potions Professor watched with hooded eyes as she stripped off her cotton dress letting it slide off her body like rushing water as she stood before him.**

 **He licked his pale lips in anticipation. No matter how many times he had taken his eager wife to bed in the past, it never seemed to be enough for either of them and their time being shortened made this moment that much more desperate.**

 **"I've missed you too." replied Severus not at all content to remain patient given all the time he spent away from her.**

 **His lengthy pale fingers calloused from his harsh life in Azkaban and his new trade in potions work trailed along her soft, smooth, exposed flesh.**

 **Unable to avoid direct contact for long, Elaine pressed her newly exposed chest into his pale lean form as he skipped the pleasantries and spelled away the remainder of their clothing.**

 **"Someone's eager." said Elaine with a smile as Snape pulled her down onto the bed.**

 **"What do you expect woman...I've never been one for patience." he replied.**

 **Elaine smiled recalling fondly just how she ended up with Regulus.**

 **"No." she agreed. "You aren't."**

 **They kissed again and proceeded to further enjoy their long awaited reunion.**

 **SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 **The Master Bedroom, The Snape Residence, Unknown World...**

 **Severus Snape stared out the window of his bedroom taking a moment before his early flight back to Hogwarts. He had wished he could linger so he could spend the morning with both Regulus and Elaine but he knew he had to get back before there were questions asked. Despite the dark lord being gone, he knew he had far too many enemies on both sides to expose the truth about his family.**

 **Taking a breath he stepped away from the window and got dressed in the rather leisurely way watching his sleeping wife's chest rise and fall during her slumber. He smiled noting just how content he had left her as he pulled on his long sleeve white shirt.**

 **She shifted in bed and moaned as her beautiful eyes opened attempting to adjust to the darkness that surrounded her.**

 **"S-Severus...?" she began.**

 **"Shhhh." he urged kissing her repeatedly. "Go back to bed woman I've got to return to Hogwarts."**

 **She seemed rather disappointed to hear this.**

 **"But you just got here." she complained. "Regulus is going to be looking for you."**

 **"I know." replied Snape. "But this is the way it must be...I'll return when I can."**

 **"Promise?" asked Elaine sitting up in bed and meeting his obsidian gaze despite the semi-darkness.**

 **"You have my work woman." replied Snape kneeling beside the bed and taking her hand in his own. "I will comeback to you whenever I get the opportunity to do so."**

 **"Always?" she asked gripping his hand tightly.**

 **"Always." he replied before kissing her hand once more. "Now get some rest...you know the boy's bound to be full of energy come morning."**

 **"Like his father." said Elaine turning onto her side and collecting her husband's pillows to sleep better in his absence.**

 **Snape took one last look at his wife before venturing out into the hall and moving toward his sleeping son's bedroom.**

 **Regulus had still been asleep much to his satisfaction and adorable if the young Potions Master would be so bold in admitting. The seven year old wizard in the making had made him proud in more ways than he had ever known.**

 **His tiny fist had still been balled from when he last held on to his father's hand before drifting off to sleep.**

 **"My little Prince." said Severus Snape noting just how fortunate he had been in terms of a family that loved him unconditionally. "Sleep well."**

 **With that Severus Snape departed the home of his family once more to return to Hogwarts castle, content in the knowledge that he'd return as he promised his sleeping wife he would.**


	45. Chapter 44:Fade To Black

**_Chapter 44: Fade To Black_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 ** _{"_ _And now my bitter hands..._ _Cradle broken glass..._ _Of what was everything..._ _All the pictures had..._ _All been washed in black..._ _Tattooed everything..._ _All the love gone bad..._ _Turned my world to black..._ _Tattooed all I see..._ _All that I am..._ _All I'll be..._ _Yeah..._ _I know someday you'll have a beautiful life..._ _I know you'll be the sun..._ _In somebody else's sky..._ _But why..._ _Why..._ _Why can't it be..._ _Why can't it be mine..._ _"}Black,Pearl Jam_**

 ** _Unknown Location, Unknown World..._**

 ** _Fading in an out of consciousness, The Headmaster Of Hogwarts Castle found himself looking down at his trembling hands as a figure clad in black approached him. His throat hurt and it was difficult to form the words needed to enable speech. The figure had urged him not to speak but proceeded to assist him as best he could._**

 ** _The heat that surrounded him as the poison flowed into his veins had been all that he could feel as the figured set to work dulling the pain he could and attempted to get his apparent fever down._**

 ** _"S-Son." the ailing Headmaster said. "M-My son."_**

 ** _The figure clad in black stopped meeting his eyes and speaking quickly despite the muffled sound of his voice in the wake of the all encompassing heat._**

 ** _Tears streamed down sallow pale cheeks in reaction to the inevitable death he would endure but it would not be as quick as everyone had anticipated thanks in large part to this poor boy's interference._**

 ** _His weary mind tried to make sense of how this boy came to be._**

 ** _His incredibly thin build and anxious hands working with all the skill they could muster to keep him alive despite the rapidly deteriorating condition of his body in the wake of the serpent Nagini's attack._**

 ** _"Hold on father." said the weary young man who's face had been vastly familiar._**

 ** _"M-My son." said the drowning voice of Severus Snape as he fought back the currents of blood leaking from his throat._**

 ** _The boy had managed to heal it but his ability to speak in the wake of the swelling was rendered impossible._**

 ** _The heat had returned becoming almost unbearable as he drifted back off again feeling the burning sensation of the venom as it destroyed prominent tissues and cells within his broken and battered pale lean body._**

 ** _"Please father..." pleaded the boy as his dark eyes had been filled with worry. "Just hold on I'll get you somewhere safe...get this poison out of you."_**

 ** _The weary Headmaster attempted to push the boy away only to have him return more determined as he waved his wand over him._**

 ** _Everything faded to black once more as his conscious mind had left him._**

 ** _SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS_**

 ** _Unknown Location, Unknown World..._**

 ** _The Headmaster of Hogwarts awakened as he once more found himself in the presence of the weary boy whom had been much too thin to sustain any warmth in the harsh climate that surrounded them._**

 ** _He had her eyes._**

 ** _He had his nose._**

 ** _He had his features._**

 ** _But most importantly he had her eyes._**

 ** _Purple had been the color of the flesh on his hand as he reached for the weary boy who's eyes had been filled with tears. He could not speak but the boy could._**

 ** _"I'm so sorry father." he said unable to get the comprehension of his failure out of his own mind. "I should have been there...I should have been fighting beside you and I would have if it weren't for that cowardly turncoat..."_**

 ** _The ailing wizard knew nothing of what the boy was saying as confusion set in._**

 ** _"I'm your son." he said meeting the fading wizard's eyes. "I was always your son."_**

 ** _"L-Legillimens."_ _he said speaking the spell that the Headmaster knew all too well._**

 ** _Rapid visions of a boy taken from a hospital and raised in the bitter cold by a mad brute had been the first of the images he had seen when falling into the weary boy's mind. The ailing wizard expanded the connection and allowed the boy to see into his own mind._**

 ** _Images of a mad brute beating him and the trials of Hogwarts flooded the shocked young wizard's mind. The wizarding wars past and present had been there in rapid detail. The faces of those whom had wronged him had been just as clear._**

 ** _The culmination had been the rapid images of a boy similar in looks to the ailing wizard and his mother hidden away in the new world as the war waged in wizarding England._**

 ** _The weary boy had watched the suffering of the Headmaster unable to assist him further as he succumbed to the injuries that had left him a broken husk._**

 ** _"M-My son." said the broken voice of Severus Snape amid great agony as numerous tears streamed down his sallow pale cheeks._**

 ** _"Father." said the helpless boy as the Headmaster passed on without taking his eyes off his apparent son._**

 ** _A bitter cold seeped into the very being of the young wizard as he crawled from beneath the remote icy cave he had placed the ailing wizard in a bid to protect him._**

 ** _Severus Snape perished in the icy heart of the mountains far from the world he knew in the wake of the wizarding war. His only comfort had been a strange boy he had never seen before the night at the shrieking shack with eyes like his long suffering muggle wife._**

 ** _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA_**

 ** _Wilderness, Unknown Location..._**

 ** _Following the death of his father, the weary young wizard traveled in the darkness of the icy storm that enveloped the mountain. The images of the sorrowful wizard's past had flooded his mind and fueled an almost insatiable desire for vengeance as he continued to move about in the harsh snow climate._**

 ** _He would seek vengeance for his suffering father and he'd bring the entire wizarding world to it's knees in the process. The image of the black fleshed war hero forever stained in his mind amid the flashes of rage and anguish._**

 ** _There was a long list of enemies that would see themselves bend the knee in respect to Severus Snape before he had been through._**


	46. Chapter 45:The Vessel Of Vengeance

**_Chapter 45: The Vessel Of Vengeance_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 ** _{"_ _Border line..._ _Dead inside..._ _I don't mind..._ _Falling to pieces..._ _Count me in, violent..._ _Let's begin feeding the sickness..._ _How do I simplify?..._ _Dislocate the enemy's on the way..._ _Show me what it's like..._ _To dream in black and white..._ _So I can leave this world tonight..._ _Full of fear..._ _Ever clear..._ _I'll be here fighting forever..._ _Curious, venomous..._ _._ _"}Unknown Soldier, Breaking Benjamin_**

 _Hogsmeade Village, Wizarding World..._

 **M** olten balls of white-hot bright orange and yellow flames had been catapulted into the popular village of Hogsmeade as numerous groups of witches and wizards ran screaming in agony from the searing pain that enveloped them. There had thankfully been no students present as the flames continued to rain from the sky.

It was apparent in this attack that the dark wizard known as Arcturus had been through being courteous as the body count doubled in the wake of this latest attack. Charred flesh and violent screams had been the symphony of his destruction as he watched with giddy eyes beneath his notorious mask as young and old succumbed to the pain and expired at his direction.

There was not on ounce of remorse nor a whisper of pity within the darkened soul of the monstrous wizard as he delighted in the wide-spread chaos. Walls of flame had erupted trapping those unlucky enough not to escape the assault in time as they cringed in absolute terror.

"Where is your so called "hero" Harry Potter now!?" hissed the vile dark wizard as he rode above the sleek flaming head of his serpent.

One rather brave or foolish wizard stood before him with his wand drawn.

"Harry will stop you!" he shouted not at all deterred by the massive flames nor the enormous burning serpent before him.

Arcturus seemed to be amused by this.

"I am counting on it." he replied leaping from his serpent and meeting the gaze of the shaken wizard. "You are as much a sniveling sack of useless flesh as you have ever been...Neville Longbottom."

The brave wizard glared at the monster before him.

"H-How do you know my name?" he asked attempting to sound stern in his relatively shocked state.

"I know a great deal about you...little fool." replied Arcturus rather spitefully. "And now I will allow you to know something about me...I am every bit as terrifying as you once believed your Potions Professor to have been."

Neville Longbottom's eyes widened in absolute terror.

"I-It can't be..." he said suddenly finding it difficult to keep hold of his wand with his hand trembling.

Arcturus would have smiled had the mask he wore permitted it.

"Go on." he urged the visibly shaken wizard before him. "Whom does that weak little mind of yours believe me to be?"

"P-P-Professor Snape?" said Neville collapsing in fear as Arcturus rushed him sinking a hard fist into the terrified wizard's belly.

"Now run along an inform your precious Potter of your new found discovery." instructed the seemingly bloodthirsty wizard. "And do hurry...there will be more bodies to greet your precious hero once I fully hit my stride."

Neville scrambled to his feet unsure if he could get them to work given the pain in his stomach and the tears that blurred his vision.

Arcturus turned to the amassed crowd blocked by the walls of flame.

"I AM THE VESSEL OF VENGEANCE, THE BEACON OF THE DOWNTRODDEN, AND YOUR ETERNAL PUNISHMENT...I AM ARCTURUS AND THE TIME HAS COME FOR THE WIZARDING WORLD TO BLEED FOR THE SINS COMMITTED AGAINST SEVERUS SNAPE!" he declared with rage uncontrollable as he glared among the crowd. "WHERE IS YOUR PRECIOUS POTTER TO SAVE YOU FROM ANOTHER DARK WIZARD'S INTENT I WONDER...HOW CAN YOUR MOST REVERED HERO FAIL TO SEE A THREAT AS SIGNIFICANT AS MYSELF WHEN HE ALONE DEFEATED VOLDEMORT?!"

Arcturus continued to mock the crowd as he signaled his robed henchmen to invade Hogsmeade Village. This was the beginning of a new chapter in his war against the pathetic worm known as Harry James Potter and he it was a rather personal blow to say the least, the putrid brat's beloved Hogsmeade Village would be the first casualty.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 _Hogsmeade Village, Wizarding World..._

Harry James Potter had been treated to a vast amount of smoke and soot as once treasured structures from the simple and pleasant part of his past had been reduced to absolute rubble in the wake of Arcturus's assault.

Neville had done his best to recount the events that lead up to the damage they had seen before them. The fury within the former Boy-who-lived had seemingly bottled itself to the surface.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU FIGHT!" he shouted in rage at the condition of one of his most cherished places from childhood, when he had a childhood.

"I-I tried." replied Neville feeling helpless in his failure to live up to his friend's legend in the face of danger. "B-But it was...P-Professor..S-Snape."

Harry's eyes widened upon hearing this.

"What are you talking about Neville?" he asked in confusion. "Professor Snape's been dead for nineteen years."

"N-No." replied Neville in a stern tone as he met his dear friend's emerald green eyes. "P-Professor Snape was the one that did this Harry...he's absolutely vile and...he seemed to enjoy it."

Harry shook his head.

"That can't be right." he said. "Professor Snape gave me his memories during the final battle...before he died...we left his body in the shrieking shack...you must be confusing him with Arcturus."

Neville Longbottom's brown eyes widened.

"Y-You don't think this Arcturus could be Professor Snape could it?" he asked terrified. "W-What if he somehow survived the injuries Voldemort gave him...what if he is behind all of this...chaos...he was as death eater...he killed Dumbledore."

"Neville." said Harry snapping his old friend out of his terror-filled delusion. "Professor Snape is gone...that was merely Arcturus messing with your head because he knew you were afraid of our Potions Professor."

"Well how does he know so much about everyone then?" asked Neville not at all liking the terror the strange dark wizard inspired. "H-He was like ice...his very presence reminded me so much of..."

"It wasn't him." insisted Harry. "Snape wouldn't do anything like this...he died saving my life."

Neville sighed.

"All I'm saying is that this Arcturus is bad news like Snape use to be." he replied.

"Only a monster like Voldemort could be this callous and cruel when murdering innocents." said the green eyed wizard taking in the devastation this strange new menace had left behind. "And I intend to put an end to it before he truly gets started."

Neville had believed Harry Potter could do anything and offered his services should the determined Auror need them.

"Look after the children Neville." said Harry unable to take his eyes off the charred bodies and blackened soot that covered the once prominent staple of his Hogwarts experience. "Arcturus is going to pay for this."


	47. Chapter 46:The Price Of War

**_Chapter 46: The Price Of War_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 ** _{"Don't give us none of your aggravation...We had it with your discipline...Saturday night's alright for fighting...Get a little action in"} Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting, Nickelback/Elton John_**

 _The Potter Residence,The Burrows, Wizarding World..._

 **W** ord of what occurred at Hogsmeade Village had gotten back to Harry Potter's family as the green eyed wizard landed in the open field. Ron and Hermione rushed to greet him unsure of how he would be taking the loss of those they had known in their once treasured of childhood places. Harry had been none too surprised to see Regulus Snape among his family and it appeared they had all been chatting about a way to deal with the increasing threat of Arcturus and his Serpent Brothers Of Destruction.

"What's our next move?" asked Hermione, the ever logical one among them.

"I haven't decided yet." replied Harry.

Upon hearing this Ronald Weasley had been filled with rage.

"What the bloody hell do you mean you haven't decided yet?" he asked as if it had been an easy answer. "That nutter's running lose and murdering people as we speak!"

"I know that Ron." said Harry attempting to quell his own temper in the wake of his discovery. "But rushing off to fight him is exactly what Arcturus was trying to provoke."

Hermione had been in agreement of this.

"It seems he is making his moves in a calculating fashion." she said. "Knowing where to strike to deal out the most damage."

"Almost like a serpent." remarked Regulus seeing the strange aspect of cleverness in their enemies tact.

"So big deal...the bloody nutter happens to be a Slytherin." muttered Ron bitterly. "Voldemort was a Slytherin and look what Harry did to him."

"I don't believe he's a Slytherin Ron." said Harry taking a moment to breathe. "At least not directly."

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?" asked the red head wizard folding his arms across his chest.

"Well...for one thing...most of the Slytherins we know have come to accept Snape's death." said the green eyed wizard pondering the events that lead to this very moment. "Any other Slytherins hated Snape's guts when it was revealed he had betrayed Voldemort to save me."

"So...just because a few of them turned over a new leaf doesn't mean that it isn't possible for one of them to return to wreak havoc...for crying out loud Harry Snape could bloody well be an easy banner for them to rally around just to throw us off." said Ron having fully considered another alternative to his friend's conclusions.

"That is a possibility." began Harry as if he had been about to consider coming around to his brother-in law's way of thinking.

"No." replied Regulus interrupting the two of them. "Arcturus is not some old grudge posing to give my father a bad rep...this guy is the real deal...and he won't stop until he destroys Geek boy's life and reputation as well."

"I don't see the point of this conflict." said Hermione with an exhausted sigh. "Harry has done nothing wrong...he's even fought to get Snape's portrait into the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts...his youngest son bares the man's name for Merlin's sake."

"It's something much deeper than mere conflict." said Regulus beginning to understand this Arcturus a lot better than he intended. "It's almost as if he were waging a war just to get people to acknowledge my father's role in the war...that it eclipses anything you might have done to Voldy in the end."

Ronald Weasley narrowed his eyes at the Junior Snape.

"The way you talk it's almost like you agree with him." he muttered.

"Wither I agree or disagree with the intent of Arcturus' message pales in comparison to the fact that he's using my father to destroy innocent lives." replied Regulus narrowing his obsidian orbs at the red head wizard. "My father has had enough blood on his hands for one lifetime...he doesn't need an increase to the body count."

Ron had not liked the younger Snape one bit and his apparent sympathies for their enemies' message had been more than enough to convince him to mistrust the strange American son of his former Potions Professor.

"You know what I think?" asked Ron not at all letting up on his suspicions.

"No but I'm sure you're going to go out of your way to tell us." replied Regulus bitterly knowing all too well of Ron's accusations.

"I think you're one of them." said Ron glaring at him.

"Of course you do." replied the raven haired wizard.

"How do we know you aren't Arcturus?" asked the red head wizard. "You've only recently just gotten back from Hogwarts...I don't know how you've managed to get passed McGonagall's wards and into the school but I know some outsider like you who never even went to the school should never have been allowed inside."

"What's your point freckles?" asked Regulus annoyed.

"My point...you greasy git junior is that Hogsmeade was fine before you made a mysterious visit." replied Ron. "Care to explain to everyone why Neville Longbottom placed you at the scene only a day prior to the attack that leveled it?"

"I stopped for a drink before visiting my father's portrait." replied Regulus. "I left after some jerk decided to attack me due to my resemblance to my father...I'm guessing that happened to be your...Neville Longbottom."

Ron continued to glare harshly at the wizard before him.

"Neville ended up needing to be treated at St. Mungo's." he said with an accusatory tone. "For burns wounds."

Harry looked from Ron to Regulus unsure what to do about their evidently hostile tempers.

"Ron stop this." said Hermione stepping between them. "This is not the time for petty disagreements."

"Like hell it isn't." hissed the red head wizard. "You think I don't know that you didn't come home last night...you think I don't know it was because you spent the night with this greasy yank son of a bitch."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Regulus leveled him with a swift hay-maker to the jaw causing everyone to gasp in shock. Hermione had been powerless to employ reason at that time as Ron got up from the ground a bit dazed but enraged as blood trickled from his lip.

The red head wizard rushed the son of his former Potions Professor only to find himself much too slow despite being propelled by his anger.

Regulus slammed the hot-headed wizard onto the ground and once more Ron attempted to get up. It had only been a matter of time before the bulls of the group locked horns as they continued to trade blows despite Ron being the more winded of the two given his leisurely life style compared to Regulus' impressive build and discipline via his father's training.

"STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM MY FAMILY!" shouted Ron still trying his hardest to hit Regulus in a way that supplemented his ego.

He had failed rather miserably as Regulus again slammed the winded red head wizard onto his back in front of his own family.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" shouted Hermione growing angry with the pettiness of the situation.

Ron attempted to tackle Regulus one last time only to find himself caught in mid-stride in preparation for another slam only this time nothing happened.

The bracing wizard noticed that it had been due to Hermione having launched Regulus thirty meters away from the group in a bid to protect a helpless Ron.

Feeling the sting of having been hexed by an irate Hermione Granger for the second time since their initial encounter, Regulus got to his feet without another word and disapparated from the open field. As Hermione watched him go, she had no doubt in her mind that he was fed up with assisting them from this point on.

Ron seemed pleased to have finally driven Regulus Snape away but his antics had cost them an ally in the wake of this war.

"Nice going Ron." said Ginny narrowing her eyes at her vastly selfish brother. "I won't be surprised if he doesn't come back."

"So." replied the red head wizard getting to his feet despite the pain and dusting himself off. "We don't need that greasy American git...we fought Voldemort and won didn't we?"

Harry had been silent ever since the fight broke out. He had been torn between wanting to believe that Regulus had nothing to do with the strange dark wizard cult that had descended upon the wizarding world but something about Ron's words had him drift back to his initial suspicions of Snape during his time at Hogwarts.

Regulus had pointed out himself that Arcturus wasn't a Slytherin but merely adapted the tactics of one and who better to teach his son to be as a Slytherin than the former Head of Slytherin House himself.


	48. Chapter 47:The Embittered

_**Chapter 47: The Embittered**_

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 ** _{"...Oh his words how they hurt me...I'll never forget it...And as the time, it went by...I lived to regret it...You're no son, you're no son of mine...But where should I go...Please tell me what should I do...You're no son, you're no son of mine...But I came here for help...Oh I was looking for you..."} No Son Of Mine,Phil Collins_**

 _Open Sky, Unknown World..._

 **S** wooping along the clouds of the stratosphere, Icarus The Leviathan Thunderbird beat it's great wings as it carried a dangerously riding Regulus Snape across the vast deep ocean. The enraged wizard had been occupying his mind with the thrill of flight in a bid to get passed wanting to brutally beat Ronald Weasley into a heap of flesh and bone for what he had done. Hermione had attacked him in defense of her husband and the father of her children despite the freckle faced arse cheating on her every chance he had gotten.

The wisps of clouds had gone by leaving only a glistening wetness behind as Regulus attempted to catch them. He had preferred flying to walking or apparation given the easy calm that had come over him whenever he needed to escape the pressures his rather strange life had put on him.

As a general rule, Regulus did not like to engage in confrontation it only seemed to draw out more of his repressed rage and heartache but Ron Weasley had gone too far insulting his mother.

Icarus' shrill call filled the air and it lulled him into a contented sleep as the cool air seemed to ease the burning of his rage for the time being. His weary mind traveled back to the halls of Hogwarts Castle and how he had not even measured up in the eyes of his deceased father's portrait.

The last time he had seen the wizard alive was the night he shouted about him being a curse...that he had been the product of rape long hidden from him when his father was a death eater. The horror that gripped his mother that night had been as haunting as the words his deceased father had spoken.

 _ **RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR**_

 _ **The Living Room, Snape Residence, Unknown World...**_

 _ **Shards of broken glass had stuck out of the hard wood floor like an angry sore toe as Elaine Prince struggled to breathe in the wake of her drunken husband's aggressive revelation. The tears continued to stream down her now pale cheeks as she dared not look into the inquisitive face of her beloved little boy whom had seemingly grown into a man overnight.**_

 _ **Regulus had been thrown through a loop following his return to his home. He noted the blood that had splattered the floor and the spilled contents of whiskey on the floor where his father had stood.**_

 _ **He had never seen the dour wizard so drunk nor so enraged at not only himself but at his wife.**_

 _ **"This is what you wanted." he had hissed at her spitefully. "This is the life you built with a monster!"**_

 _ **Elaine ignored him pleading with him to "stop this" before it was too late. Regulus had entered the room to find his enraged father breaking glass and spilling blood and drink everywhere.**_

 _ **The blood had solely belonged to the dour wizard, he had been injured from whatever occurred at Hogwarts before he arrived. Upon seeing her husband brutally beaten and hardly able to stand, Elaine brought him into the house and attempted to care for him.**_

 _ **Initially, he had been grief stricken. Tears had streamed down his sallow pale cheeks as he reached for his wife with a bloodied hand. He kept apologizing to her for getting her into whatever mess he had made of her life.**_

 _ **Regulus listened unsure what to make of the scene. He had never known his father to shed a single tear in all the years that he had known him. The shock of seeing the normally composed wizard so bloodied had also driven the younger Snape to silence.**_

 _ **Elaine had scrambled to get the necessary supplies needed to clean him.**_

 _ **"Severus." she said looking about as torn to pieces as he had been physically.**_

 _ **"I'm sorry." he apologized gripping her hand as his watery obsidian eyes met hers. "I should never have allowed this to continue..."**_

 _ **Elaine looked at him terrified as he rose to his feet and moved over toward the firewhiskey stash he had hidden among his private desk long ago.**_

 _ **"Severus please." said Elaine visibly upset. "You've had more than enough to drink as it is."**_

 _ **The injured Defense Against The Dark Arts Professor uncorked the top from his elven crystal bottle and turned it up.**_

 _ **"Our association is at an end." he said with venom behind his tone that further shocked his young son. "This is the last time I will ever step foot in this wretched hollow you call a home."**_

 _ **Elaine didn't seem all that affected by how he spoke but she was apparently devastated by the fact that her husband was telling her outright that he would not be coming home again.**_

 _ **"Severus you don't mean that." she said trying to understand what she had done to make him resent her so much.**_

 _ **Unsure of what to do, Elaine had gone to him hoping to ease his anger with her touch. It proved to be the exact opposite as Snape drew back from her not at all wising to have her near him given the amount of blood on his hands.**_

 _ **"Don't fucking touch me." he hissed spiteful. "Don't you ever fucking touch me again."**_

 _ **Elaine had been at a loss for words as tears began to stream down her cheeks.**_

 _ **"Why are you being so cruel?" she asked not understanding his distance in the least.**_

 _ **The rage behind his cold eyes of obsidian had propelled Regulus to at last enter the room.**_

 _ **"Dad you're drunk." he said stepping between his parents unsure what to make of the life he knew crumbling before his very eyes. "And you're injured...let us help you."**_

 _ **Severus Snape seemed slightly amused by his son's gesture of unconditional love.**_

 _ **"Help me?" he spat rather coldly. "What the fuck could you possibly do to help me boy?"**_

 _ **Regulus had wavered for a moment unused to his father's venomous tongue.**_

 _ **"I-I don't know what we did to upset you...but we can fix it dad." he said hopeful.**_

 _ **Severus Snape chuckled rather darkly as he glared into the innocent eyes of his only son.**_

 _ **"Your very existence has been wrong since the very beginning." he hissed still glaring at his son.**_

 _ **"Severus please don't." said Elaine looking fearful.**_

 _ **The soon to be Headmaster of Hogwarts chuckled once more.**_

 _ **"And why should I?" he asked. "He's going to hear about the truth some time woman why not now while I still draw breath...why not have the truth known here and now."**_

 _ **"Severus...you promised you wouldn't..." said Elaine upset as tears began to stream down her cheeks.**_

 _ **"I owe you nothing save for a swift end at the business end of my wand." replied Snape prompting Regulus to take a defensive stance in protection of his mother.**_

 _ **Being told he had been the product of rape had taken some of the wind out of the younger Snape's sails as he visibly buckled beneath the strain the weight of the truth had placed on him.**_

 _ **"W-Why are you telling me this?" asked the stunned Regulus.**_

 _ **"Because you are my son." replied Snape with a coldness in his gaze that Regulus had never known before. "And you carry the same darkness inside you that I have long tried to deny in myself."**_

 _ **"Dad...you're upsetting mom." said Regulus noting his mother's anguish.**_

 _ **"She should be upset." replied Snape without feeling. "She should be reduced to a pile of senders at my feet."**_

 _ **"You don't mean that Severus." she said as the tears continued. "You can't mean that..."**_

 _ **"Do what you will with your new legacy little prince." said Snape before he waved his hand bursting the door into flames and raced out into the night and apparated out of their lives.**_

 _ **"DAD!" called Regulus as chasing after the injured wizard with only the night sky looming above him as the tears streamed down his cheeks.**_

 _ **Now he had been standing in the center of his parent's living room with his heartbroken mother unable to look at him.**_

 _ **"Severus." she said as her anguish seemed to magnify tenfold.**_

 _RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR_

 _Open Sky, Unknown World..._

Looking back it seemed that his mother had known all too well what was to befall her husband once he returned to Hogwarts Castle. The news of his death had hit her like a stray muggle bullet causing her knees to buckle as she dropped the dish she had been washing.

Taking a breath, Regulus continued to enjoy the clarity that had come from his flights with Icarus with increasing regularity. The threat of Arcturus and his Serpent Brothers Of Destruction had been serious and despite his rather unsavory association with Ronald Weasley, Regulus wasn't going to allow the loud mouthed freckle faced idiot to go off and get everyone killed no matter how satisfying it would be to watch him meet his just end.

"Icarus...set a course for Malfoy Manor." he said with something of a smirk. "No doubt Uncle Lucius has been waiting up for us...I don't know what makes someone a Slytherin but if anyone knows about it he does."

Another shrill call erupted from The Leviathan Thunderbird as he changed his flight path to one in favor of Malfoy Manor.


	49. Chapter 48:The Spiller Of Blood

**_Chapter 48: The Spiller Of Blood_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 ** _{A/N: Don't know why I need to issue a warning but there are some sensitive people out there so here it is...MAJOR CHARACTER DEATHS AHEAD...}_**

 ** _{"If you feel so empty...So used up, so let down...If you feel so angry...So ripped off, so stepped on...You're not the only one...Refusing to back down...You're not the only one...So get up...Let's start a riot, a riot...Let's start a riot...Let's start a riot, a riot...Let's start a riot...If you feel so filthy...So dirty, so fucked up...If you feel so walked on...So painful, so pissed off...You're not the only one...Refusing to go down...You're not the only one...So get up...Let's start a riot, a riot...Let's start a riot...Let's start a riot, a riot...Let's start a riot"} Riot, Three Days Grace_**

 _The Ministry Of Magical Offices, Wizarding World..._

 **N** ews of the massive attack on Hogsmeade Village spread like wildfire prompting the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt to return to his office to put out the embers of his political career. He had urged Harry Potter and his family to find a solution to this madness with Arcturus and The Serpent Brothers Of Destruction.

There was no similarities between this opposing dark wizard and the one before him other than the fact that they caused a good deal of damage to the wizarding world and had a personal vendetta against Harry James Potter.

Kingsley had done his best to keep the wizarding world from the verge of panic and foster the universal belief that Harry Potter would find a well to quell this latest nuisance and live could return to it's peaceful existence prior to the upstart groups decent upon wizarding kind.

Seeing this as a challenge, Arcturus appeared at the Ministry Of Magical Offices leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. The security staff and a handful of Aurors had put up a good fight but in the end the lethal wizard proved to be too much for them as he made his way to the main office.

The vast black floors reflected more broken glass and dead bodies as Arcturus entered the inner sanctum of wizarding government. His dark eyes had fallen upon the posturing Kingsley Shacklebolt whom had issued a world wide message to reassure his public of Harry Potter's capabilities in dealing with the newest threat.

"Hello Shacklebolt." said Arcturus making his way over toward the Prime Minster of Magic's desk.

"You are Arcturus of course." replied the rather large wizard keeping his own fear in check as he greeted his enemy.

"Indeed I am." replied the masked dark wizard as he went about examining the quint little room that had been the seat of wizarding power for centuries. "Am I to take it that you think your precious Potter so powerful that he could be in two places at once?"

Kingsley had been massive in terms of girth and possible strength yet he was no fool. He looked upon the dark wizard as a familiar aura of cold and death made itself known to him.

"You are so very much like him." he said.

Arcturus seemed impassive as he simply stared into the eyes of his enemy.

"His aura was often cold and death followed where ever he moved." continued Kingsley.

"Then what happens next should be of no surprise to you." replied Arcturus.

Unbeknownst to the dark wizard, there had been another present if only to give Harry Potter more time to arrive and put an end to this madness. The terror filled blue eyes of a red headed wizard had taken in the imposing sight of the dark wizard leaving so much death in his wake.

With a trembling hand he raised his wand in the hopes of catching the unsuspecting monster off guard and possibly buying Harry time to arrive.

"And what do you think you are doing?" asked Arcturus turning his attention to the now startled red head wizard.

Frozen in shock from having been so easily caught, the would be hero found himself flung rather effortlessly into a nearby wall.

The dark wizard snapped his fingers causing Kingsley to choke via what had been wand-less magic. The eyes of the larger than life Minister of Magic had begun to bulge from inside his head as Arcturus made his way over to the downed red head.

"Your interference will not go unpunished." hissed the dark wizard as he summoned a spell from the very depths of his being as he stood over the unconscious wizard on the floor below.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 _Diagon Alley, Wizarding World..._

The letter S. had been etched into the bruised and broken flesh of a wounded wizard official as he gasped for breath in the wake of a very swift attack by The Serpent Brother's Of Destruction. His hair had been red, a vibrant sort of red with a soft orange glow about it. His face had been busted and pooled with blood despite the numerous bruises. The body had seen better days having been taken to task by a fierce magical lash and discarded like rubbish.

Panic swept the alley as many a witch and wizard ran about in an attempt to a voice the tragic findings to all whom would listen. The Minister of Magic had been killed and there had been one more casualty that would shake Harry Potter to his very core.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

 _The Forbidden Forest, Wizarding World..._

Flying as fast as they could to avoid being eaten by a rather vile forest dweller, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger did their best to steer clear of the large winding tentacles that had come for them. According to the amber eyed witch's research, it was called a Lurker. A rather hideous beat with a massive tree-like body with the arms and legs of a man and the head of a surfaced fish.

It's gray-black tentacles continued to snap at the flying witch and wizard as they zipped passed many a tree in a bid to avoid it.

"Faster Harry it's gaining on us." said Hermione tightly gripping her oldest and dearest friend about the waist as he did his best to propel his broom forward in a bid to avoid the swatting beast.

"I'm trying Hermione." replied Harry tilting his broom handle upward to give the broom more of a kick. "It's too bloody fast."

Hermione grabbed her wand and aimed a careful series of hexes at the tree-like creature.

" _celeri Concidito_!" shouted the rather clever witch in desperation.

Almost immediately, the Lurker seemed to split in rapid pieces and fall apart mid-chase.

Harry sighed in relief.

"That was rather close wasn't it?" asked Hermione as they hovered silently above the tree tops for a moment catching their breath an surveying the damaged creature.

"I couldn't agree more." replied Harry pleased the chase had come to an end.

"Let's go before another comes out." said Hermione.

"Agreed." replied the green eyed wizard focusing his broom as they took off like lightening.

Neither of them had been aware of the shocking news that would hit them once they made it home.


	50. Chapter 49:Casualty Of War

**_Chapter 49: Casualty Of War_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 ** _{"You know a dream is like a river...Ever changin' as it flows...And a dreamer's just a vessel...That must follow where it goes...Trying to learn from what's behind you...And never knowing what's in store...Makes each day a constant battle...Just to stay between the shores...and I will sail my vessel...'Til the river runs dry...Like a bird upon the wind...These waters are my sky...I'll never reach my destination...If I never try...So I will sail my vessel...'Til the river runs dry...Too many times we stand aside...And let the waters slip away...'Til what we put off 'til tomorrow...Has now become today...So don't you sit upon the shoreline...And say you're satisfied...Choose to chance the rapids...And dare to dance the tide..."}The River, Garth Brooks_**

 _The Potter Residence, The Burrows, Wizarding World..._

 **A** n eerie calm had greeted both Harry Potter and Hermione Granger-Weasley as they landed and made their way toward their respective homes. Despite a lot changing over the years since the second wizarding war and the both of them having families of their own, it was still a nice change of pace to find themselves stepping into the shadows of their former chaotic youth now and again.

"Blimey Hermione...once again you prove that you really are the brightest witch of your age." said Harry attempting to catch his breath.

"And once more Harry Potter you prove that you were the best seeker Hogwarts has ever seen." replied the amber eyed witch doing the same.

The two shared a warm laugh as they headed inside. Neither of them had seen hide nor hair of Regulus Snape since his altercation with Ron erupted into violence and the blue eyed wizard had taken to actually staying home for a change.

Harry had made it to his porch when he was greeted by the somber sight of Arthur Weasley standing in the semi-darkness that blanketed the burrows. He had been quite official looking as he stood in a seemingly new suit with a sorrowful expression filed across his ghastly pale face.

"Come inside Harry." said the boy-who lived's father in law. "Bring Hermione."

Harry had not known what this was all about but he did as Arthur had instructed.

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 _The Potter Residence, The Burrows, Wizarding World..._

The emerald green eyes of Harry James Potter had been filled with wave after wave of tears as the news of Prime Minster Of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt had been murdered while he and Hermione were chasing another dead end. Regulus had warned that Ron's way of thinking would lead them no where but no one aside from Ginny and Hermione bothered to entertain that he might be right. The embittered wizard crushed the cup that had been within his grasp as he looked into the sorrowful eyes of his in-laws.

He had left Kingsley in Ron's care for this mission and Ron assured him he could handle it. The blood boiled within Harry's veins as he noted the sheer lack of competence on Ron's part, and he was suppose to be the second best Auror in office.

"Where is Ron?" asked Harry in a rather harsh tone. "He was suppose to be protecting Kingsley."

Molly Weasley burst into tears as her husband and sons attempted to comfort her. Ginny walked over to Harry braving her own sorrow to put an end to her angry husband's demands.

"Ron isn't coming Harry." said Ginny bravely.

Upon hearing this Harry narrowed his eyes at his wife.

"Don't bloody tell me he's gone back to shagging those whores at the brothel." he said angrily. "When I get a hold of him I'll let Hermione hex..."

"He's gone." said Ginny struggling with her sadness as it burst at the seams.

The frequent tears of his wife only served to confuse him all the more.

"What do you mean Ron is gone?" asked Hermione with an arched brow of her own.

Ginny could hardly look at her sister in law. It had been hard enough trying to tell Harry. Sensing the faltering of his only daughter, Arthur Weasley stepped forward to deliver the devastating news.

"Harry...Hermione...during the attack at the Ministry Of Magical offices...Ronald accompanied Kingsley insisting that he would not let the stubborn man out of his sight." said Arthur. "Arcturus attacked and it seems he killed Ronald to get to Kingsley."

"WHAT!?" asked a stunned Hermione as her knees buckled.

George raced over toward his sister in law catching her just before she hit the floor. Harry shook his head in disbelief.

"No." he said unwilling to accept what he had been told. "No that...that can't be...Ron's not..."

"He's gone Harry." said Arthur in a father-like tone as he pulled his shocked son-in law into his arms.

Hermione seemed to shut down all together as the entire Weasley family reacted to the heaviness of this most unfortunate news.

Ronald Bilius Weasley had been killed by Arcturus and this only made Harry Potter more determined to put an end to the mad wizard's antics.

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Snape's Bedroom,Malfoy Manor, Wizarding World...

Regulus Snape had been in the depths of a pleasant sleep when Draco Malfoy burst into the room with a look of absolute horror filed across his pale face.

"Regulus...have you heard?...Weasel's been killed." he said unsure what to make of this new threat to the wizarding world.

Upon hearing that Ronald Weasley had been killed the son of Severus Snape sat up confused about the information he had just received.

"A-Are you sure?" He asked hoping that he had misheard his god-brother.

"It's only all over the bloody telly." replied Draco narrowing his gray eyes at Regulus. "I couldn't believe it myself after I've heard it...Weasley killed."

Regulus immediately got out of bed as this news had no affect on him aside from shock, there was at least one person whom he cared for that would be devastated beyond belief to know of this information.

"Hermione." said Regulus leaping from his father's black four poster bed and scrambling to get his clothes on.

"In a rush?" asked Draco with an arched brow.

"I have a friend who would not find this news to be a simple shock." replied the raven haired wizard.

Draco sighed knowing all too well whom he had been referring to.

"I know she won't want to hear it...but I know all to well what Granger is going through." he said surprisingly sympathetic to his former rivals plight. "Tell her she's in our prayers."

Regulus nodded having a new appreciation for Draco Malfoy. It had not been that long ago before the formerly spoiled brat of Malfoy Manor lost his own wife and found himself raising a son alone in the wake of the second wizarding war's aftermath.

"Will do Draco." said the raven haired wizard.

"You take care as well." said the Junior Malfoy with a smirk. "And do come home this time brother."

Regulus walked toward the door and tussled Draco's seemingly perfect blond hair.

"Not to worry little bro." he replied before taking his leave as Draco went about fixing his hair.

As soon as he hit the open air, Regulus disapparted from Malfoy Manor with the thought of consoling a no doubt emotionally shattered Hermione on his mind. As much as he hated Ronald Weasley, his death was never worth the pain Hermione and her children would be going through.


	51. Chapter 50:Sympathy For The Dead

**_Chapter 50: Sympathy For The Dead_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-_ _S.S_ _._**

 ** _{"When you lose the one you love..._ _You heart goes through changes..._ _Especially when your sweet memories..._ _Still hold their thrill..._ _And just when you think..._ _The pain is all gone..._ _Don't fool yourself..._ _'Cause here's the deal..._ _That's the way love works..._ _You've got to hurt before you heal..."}You've Got To Hurt Before You Heal, Bobby "Blue" Bland_**

 _The Potter Residence, The Burrows, Wizarding World..._

 **R** egulus Snape landed in the open field of the burrows. He had been quite nervous as he made his way toward the Weasley residence. The conflicted American Wizard had not known if he should have brought flowers during an occasion such as this or if he should have remained empty handed. It was a rather unnerving time given that he had no love loss for Ronald Weasley but he knew Hermione and her children would be hurting.

Truth be told he knew the whole family would be hurting. The younger Snape had been like his late Potions Master father in that he was no stranger to grief, Severus Snape was murdered nineteen years prior and the pain from that still never went away. His late mother's passing had not been any better as given the circumstances but he hoped to help at least Hermione and her children in their time of need.

Out of respect, he had not spoken much to Rose or Hugo Weasley, due to their freckle-faced asshole father, but he had been dead now and Hermione was going to need all the support she could get and so would they.

As he reached the front porch, Regulus had never considered how his coming to pay respects due to Hermione would look to anyone else. He had not made any real friends aside from the amber eyed witch since he arrived and the Malfoys were family. He figured the least he could do was knowledge her grief.

Taking a breath as he knocked on the door once it opened, Regulus had been treated to a room of somber faces as they gathered around each other in mourning. The awkward American wizard had barely gotten out a word before Hermione had come running toward him and threw her arms around his neck as the tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

Regulus closed his eyes taking in the familiar scent of jasmine in her bushy hair. He tried his best not to become too caught up in the moment, as it was only taking place due to her idiot husband's death.

The eyes of the grieving Weasley clan fell upon him and he suddenly pulled back not wishing to appear rude. Ron Weasley was not his favorite person but he meant no disrespect in the wake of his arrival.

The narrowed eyes of Molly Weasley fell upon the strange looking young wizard as she noted the distinct familiarity of his appearance.

Without warning she drew her wand aiming it at the rather confused lad with an intent behind her eyes that did little to foster hope in the Hogwarts house of Gryffindor.

"Severus Snape you have some nerve showing up here after all you've done...especially to my Ginny!" She said angrily.

Regulus' eyes widened in confusion. He had no idea why this strange woman had been so upset by his appearance or what it had to do with his father, but Ron Weasley's suspicion of him was starting to make sense.

His father had apparently done a good deal of harm to these people and it was because of that, they seemed to have a mistrust of all things Snape.

Hermione turned to meet her mother in-laws fierce gaze.

"This isn't Professor Snape." she said sadly. "It's..."

"I'm his son." replied Regulus meeting the eyes of Molly Weasley with no fear or shame in being the spawn of a wizard so despised by those he once fought along side.

"Son?" asked Arthur Weasley stunned at the implication. "S-Severus had a son?"

Regulus nodded meeting the eyes of the Weasley family Patriarch.

"How in Merlin's name did he manage to have a child and remain in Dumbledore's custody?" asked Molly Weasley looking the younger wizard over. "An have him be a yank at that?"

Regulus rolled his eyes, apparently this was where Ronald Weasley had gotten his brand of manners.

"He and my mother married young." replied the raven haired wizard.

"I'll say." replied the Weasley Matriarch doing the math. "He must have been about eighteen when you came about."

Arthur Weasley couldn't believe his eyes.

All this time, Severus Snape had been no different than any other wizard whom had been fighting those long wars. He had a wife and a child to protect as well and it propelled him to do the unthinkable in the hopes of saving them from future harm.

"Well it seems you are quite familiar with our Hermione." he said eyeing Regulus closely after recalling their earlier embrace. "Did you know our Ronald as well?"

Regulus nodded not wishing to speak ill of the recently dead younger Weasley wizard.

"He and I were...acquainted." he said as politely as he could manage.

Harry Potter had not known what to say about anything truth be told. He had still been in a state of absolute shock upon finding Ron had been killed once he and Hermione returned from the Forbidden Forest.

The so called "dark wizard" Arcturus had made this war personal when he decided to kill his brother in law and old friend Kingsley Shacklebolt. Now, Harry Potter had intended to ensure he knew just what happened to those before that had taken it upon themselves to attack people that he loved.

"I...I should leave you all to your mourning." said Regulus feeling even more out of place the longer he stayed. "I know what it feels like to have to plan a funeral."

He took his leave without any fuss or fanfare from the Weasleys or Potters. It was an altogether somber experience being among them in the wake of Ronald Weasley's death. A sickeningly embittered feeling filled the raven haired wizard as he took off well into the night. The losses he has suffered in the form of his parents had never stopped hurting and the heartbroken Regulus found it difficult to push back the rapid fire memories of such harsh and emotionally crippling experiences. In any case, it was just as well that he left them to their grief, he had never cared for Ron Weasley and his death meant nothing to him.


	52. Chapter 51:The Veiled Lines Of Progress

**_Chapter 51: The Veiled Lines Of Progression_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-_ _S.S_**

 _Unknown Location, Unknown World..._

 **I** mmense satisfaction filled the masked tyrant known simply as Arcturus, he had finally struck a damaging blow to his most hated enemy, Harry Potter. The red head wizard that had once been a most valued confidant during the so called hero of the wizarding world in his youth and now he would be food for the worms like any other sorted corpse passed it's usefulness. The masked dark wizard greatly approved of the suffering the wizarding world's greatest defender endured but it was only a fraction of what was in store for his enemy once the rest of the work had been done.

The masked dark wizard had known pain his entire life and it was in this kinship of agony that he saw relevance in a highly risen death eater by the name of Severus Snape. There was hardly any time when the ailing wizard knew peace and when he caught a glimpse of it, it eluded him still.

Arcturus balled his black gloved fists at the image of suffering on the part of the late Headmaster of Hogwarts before collecting himself. He would make the entire wizarding world suffer for what they had done.

It had not escaped his notice that the funeral for one Ronald Weasley was scheduled to take place later in the week and there wasn't a chance he'd miss throwing him a proper, "good riddance" party.

A deep and maniacal chuckle resonated from within the masked dark wizard. He would surely see Harry Potter there and the Granger girl as well. It seemed the diabolical plotting on his part was surely coming together, but there was just one minor loose end to deal with to ensure none stood in the way of his ultimate goals...

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 _Unknown Location, Wizarding World..._

Regulus Snape had not been much for funerals. He had gotten blind drunk when attending the memorial services of both his deceased parents. Of course, there had been a body present when his mother was laid into the ground and all they had of Severus Snape had been bitter memories and a good deal of confusion. The fact that Snape had no body to be buried always give Elaine the notion that he had not truly been dead and that he'd find his way back to her and Regulus in due time.

At the time Regulus had been twenty two years old and deeply embittered by his father's departure as well as his passing. Following his departure from Ilvermorny, Regulus had been in a series of bad relationships and never trusted anyone aside from his own mother, whom he never liked to visit.

Her recent death put him in a guilt ridden mindset since he avoided her as often as his father had when they were married. It never seemed to bother Elaine in the slightest. She treated him as if he had never left.

With a sigh, Regulus Snape took up the whiskey filled glass that he cupped in his large pale hand and drank down it's contents. It was hard not to feel the immense guilt over the death of Ronald Weasley. The Junior Snape had not made any secret of his contempt for the freckle faced idiot sorry excuse for a wizard, and he had been interested in pursuing a relationship with the bastard's long suffering wife, but this...he had not expected Weasley to be taken out so easily.

Ordering another round, he had attempted to decided his approach when it came to speaking with Hermione again. The witch had been devoted to the red head moron despite his continued breaking of their vows but he knew she felt something for him, she couldn't have hid it if she tried.

As he drank down the next round of whiskey he noted that she probably felt just as guilty as he had given how they flirted and acknowledged their attraction to one another. Then there were the reminders that Weasley wasn't always faithful to Hermione and treated her like she was less than what she was truly worth.

"You've really gone and done it now freckles." said Regulus in remembrance of his rival. "I suppose she's fair game now, but I'll do you the courtesy of letting her mourn you."

The slightly drunken wizard placed his glass onto the counter-top paid for his drink and exited the pub. There was something to be said about having a clear shot at what he wanted, the amber eyed witch had been dancing in and out of his dreams and fantasies since the moment they met. Now here was his chance to actually do something about their budding attraction for one another.

Placing his hands into his pockets, Regulus made his way down the darkened alley. He had been shocked to find that there wasn't a single robbed wizard or crisis that broke out as he continued his late night stroll before he reached the apparation point.

He had been of the mind to venture to Spinner's End, he had not visited his father's childhood home in quite some time and thought it best to do so. He figured he'd speak with Hermione after giving her some time to lay her former husband to rest, as it was only proper.

In the back of his mind, he had known it was more than Weasley deserved given his antics while he had been alive but it had been noted that not even the loud mouthed moron deserved such a fate at the hands of the infamous Arcturus. The brutal way they found the poor red head wizard's body had been a clear indication that it was done deliberately and the rage behind disfiguring the deceased wizard was much too barbaric to even imagine.

Regulus took off toward Spinner's End, deciding that if he were going to genuinely pursue Hermione, a late night stop at the local brothel was out of the question. He doubted she'd appreciate him continuing his affairs while pursuing her affections indefinitely.

On the other hand, Regulus had not known what Harry Potter would make of his decision to pursue a relationship with Hermione, Ron was after all, his best friend and brother in law. There was bound to be some misplaced loyalty in that. Of course, Regulus believed Potter would get over himself so long as he kept Hermione and her children happy.

The Junior Snape had been quite exhausted thinking on his next course of action and decided to let the proverbial "chips fall" where they may in this case.


	53. Chapter 52:The Realities Of Want

**_Chapter 52: The Realities Of Want_**

 ** _{A/N:Here's Another update...}_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-_ _S.S_**

 _Spinner's End, Cokeworth England, Muggle World..._

 **S** ince the rather untimely death of Ronald B. Weasley and the subsequent months following, Regulus had taken up a personal project and began to actively restore the Snape family home from the inside out. The work had been a combination of muggle and magical means the true cultivation of his father's existence. Most of the remodeling had been done over night and took less time than conventional means due to the magical application done in the middle of the night when all the clueless muggles that still occupied the town were to be asleep.

The raven haired wizard had been hard at work despite the oppressive heat from the blazing sun that loomed in the sky above him. His muscular torso was riddle with sweat and his raven hair was soaked in it as well sticking heavily to his well defined shoulders. He'd still been pale, despite the sun hitting his shirtless upper body with no remorse and busy with redoing the tiles on the roof of the old place.

As he worked, Regulus Snape's attention had wavered a bit when he felt the presence of a visitor on his property. He looked up from his roof taking a chance in believing that Hermione had finally come to seek him out only to be utterly disappointed with the appearance of Harry Potter.

The green eyed wizard didn't appear to be making a social call as he stood in the yard with his arms folded across his chest and a stern expression on his face.

"Well look what the cat dragged in." said the younger Snape as he made a show of climbing down the ladder to the roof in a bid not to give the neighboring muggles a fright with his magical aptitude.

"I wish to speak with you." said Harry sounding a bit testy as he glared at Regulus.

The immensely tall raven haired wizard stretched a bit as he came down from the ladder and slicked his hair back from his face in a bid to get a good view of "Geek boy". He had not known what had crawled up his ass as of late but he sure wasn't going to play the role of pushover just to appease "The chosen One's" ego.

"Too bad, I don't wish to speak with you." he replied moving toward two cans of pain sitting in the dirt not far from the newly made concrete steps.

Not one to be denied, Harry followed him intent on making his opinion heard by this strange American wizard that so happened to be the son of his former Potions Professor.

"You need to leave Hermione alone." said Harry.

Regulus stopped fiddling with the paints and turned to face the green eyed wizard.

"Last I checked Hermione was free to be friends with whomever she wants to." he said turning back to the paints.

"You and I both know you are interested in far more than friendship with her." insisted Harry angrily.

Once more Regulus found himself pulled away from his paints. The implication in Harry Potter's tone had been less than savory and needed far more addressing than the mixing of white and green frothing from the silver cans.

"Who the fuck are you to tell me what I want from her?" asked the raven haired wizard getting a bit angry himself.

"She's a widow and she's got two children to consider." continued Harry not bothered by Regulus's rage. "You will do well to keep away from her and allow her to get on with her life."

"Don't tell me what to do Potter." spat Regulus in a dangerous tone. "If she wants to be with me then so be it, neither you nor any of Weasley's family have anything to do with us."

"You're wrong." replied Harry with a glint of rage behind his emerald green eyes. "We are her family and we have everything to say about it."

"You aren't going to make me stop seeing her." said Regulus fully intent on ignoring this so called "warning" from Potter.

"As of this moment, I am putting you on notice." said Harry. "You are not to come near my home or my family ever again...and should you so much as approach Hermione on the street corner, I shall have it reported to the proper authorities given that you are now a person of suspicion."

"WHAT!?" asked Regulus caught off guard by this new development.

"You heard me." replied Harry in a stern tone. "We were all just fine here in England before you showed up...no one had even heard of this SBD and now suddenly Ron is gone...your altercations with him over Hermione have cast you in a very damaging light Mr. Snape."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" asked the raven haired wizard in disbelief. "Have you forgotten how many times I've saved your collective asses when those robed freaks showed up?"

"Another piece of damaging evidence against you Mr. Snape, those "robed freaks" you mentioned were not seen unless you happened to be in the same vicinity." said Harry not at all willing to give an inch in this investigation.

"You seriously think I had something to do with..." began Regulus outraged before falling silent. "Of course...you probably didn't even bother looking for evidence...just one word from the chosen one and suddenly I'm a monster to the wizarding world...guess dear old dad couldn't have all the luck when it came to you grinding him under your heel."

"This has nothing to do with your father." said Harry trying his best to keep Snape out of this.

"Fuck you Potter." hissed Regulus. "This has everything to do with him...and why you think you're such hot shit here in the wizarding world."

He narrowed his obsidian eyes at the bastard whom had been attempting to blackmail him into staying away from Hermione.

"How quickly we forget the wrongdoings of those whom have died just because they died." said Regulus never believing himself to have to resort to quoting his deceased father. "I never touched that freckle faced idiot but that doesn't mean a damn thing to you...you just want to keep me away from Hermione so could continue to play hero to her now that Ron's out of the picture..."

"You've been warned Mr. Snape." said Harry turning his back on Regulus.

"And so have you Potter." replied Regulus.

He had no intention of backing away from the witch he loved just because Harry Potter wanted to falsely uphold Ron's memory.


	54. Chapter 53:A Heat Moment Born Of Spite

**_Chapter 53: A Heat Moment Born Of Spite_**

 ** _{A/N:Here's Another update...What the hell it's been months...}_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-_ _S.S_**

 ** _{"_ _Hey, where did we go..._ _Days when the rains came?...Down in the hollow...Playing a new game...Laughing and a-running, hey, hey...Skipping and a-jumping...In the misty morning fog with...Our, our hearts a-thumping...And you, my brown-eyed girl..._ _You, my brown-eyed girl..._ _So hard to find my way..._ _Now that I'm all on my own..._ _"} Brown Eyed Girl, Van Morrison_**

 ** _Warning: Sexual Content Ahead..._**

 _Spinner's End, Cokeworth, England, Muggle World..._

Nightfall had given way to a completely embittered Regulus Snape's antics as he went about the newly remodeled house twisting the caps off Ogren's Finest and downing the various bottles in record time. Harry Potter had done a right fine job of pissing him off and he found himself ignoring the self-righteous ingrate wizard's so called warning as he rushed out of the house his father had occupied for much of his tumultuous youth and embracing the open sky via his flight ability.

His every thought had been consumed by Hermione Granger and her eyes of living amber as he flew through the clear night sky more interested in seeing the very person that stalked his dreams and chased away his waking nightmares without any direct intervention. There was no way he was going to back down, he hadn't done so when Ronald Weasley was alive and he wouldn't be doing so with him gone.

From the first moment he met Hermione Granger, despite her initial hostility via hexing him, he had fallen in love with her through no effort on either of their parts.

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 _The Granger-Weasley Residence,The Burrows, Wizarding World..._

Hermione Granger-Weasley had a good deal of difficulty sleeping as she went about pacing the darkened and seemingly always silent household, clad in a thick white housecoat and beneath that she also wore a pink teddy with purple flowers imprinted upon it. The children had been off to their grandparents house and she'd been alone once again. Harry insisted she take a leave of absence from work to get over her grief but that had certainly been the last thing she needed, to sit in a dark and empty house just to cry over her faithless, feckless, cheating git of a husband.

Yet there she was sitting in the dark in the center of her sitting room surrounded by little more than her own morbid thoughts about her former husband and how much he enraged her before he had been so unceremoniously killed. She couldn't understand what had been going through his mind at the last moments of his life, or why he felt the need to play hero when he was severely out-numbered and vastly out-matched.

There was a knock at her door as she found herself pulled from the darkest recesses of her own mind and back among the land of the living.

The amber eyed witch got to her feet and made her way toward the front door. She couldn't imagine whom would be visiting her home at the late hour of the night aside from Harry or Ginny attempting to check up on her.

When she opened the door however, she had been in for quite the surprise as she came face to face with a semi-drunken and heavily panting Regulus Snape. The raven haired wizard was covered in sweat and shirtless despite the cold temperatures that surrounded them.

"Regulus?" said Hermione confused as she stood looking him over.

"Hermione." he said still gathering his breath with his hands on his knees.

Noting his condition and the scent of firewhiskey on him, she rolled her eyes and pulled the rather distant wizard into her home before anyone saw him. She didn't understand what had taken him so long to come see her to begin with. It had been months since his last trip out to the burrows and he'd managed to bring flowers then.

"What are you doing here?" she asked moving about the sitting room and leading him toward the sofa she'd just been occupying before his arrival.

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked with an arched brow. "I came to see you witch."

Hermione shook her head trying hard not to envision the fallen Potions Master when Regulus spoke to her.

"Why now?" she asked shuffling about the house and making her way to and from her linen closet grabbing a nearby sheet and returning.

"Why not now?" asked Regulus. "I was engrossed in a personal project for the last few months and wanted to see it through without distraction."

"So I was a distraction?" asked Hermione bringing the crisp light blue sheet to him and wrapped it around his trembling torso.

"Something like that." replied Regulus truthfully.

Hermione continued toward her kitchen where she put a kettle on for tea. She figured she'd do her best to keep him from catching a cold before she sent him back out into the elements and it was nice to have a bit of company in the wake of so much isolation.

A few moments of awkward silence filled the wait for the tea to finish and she served them both.

"Any sugar for you?" she asked bringing forth the tea set as she sat everything down on the coffee table near her sofa.

Regulus smirked looking her over.

"What is it with you British and your tea?" he asked.

"We like it just fine thank you...much like you Americans and your coffee." said Hermione setting about adding a few lumps of sugar to her own heated cup of tea.

"I'll take mine plain." said Regulus prompting Hermione to arch a brow of her own at him.

"Have you never had tea before?" asked the amber eyed witch.

"Do you recall who my parents were?" he asked.

Shaking her head, she handed her guest the bitter tasting tea and turned her attention toward drinking her own.

More silence passed between them as they finished off their respective teas and basked in the darkness that surrounded them.

Regulus thought back to Harry Potter's callous words about him keeping away from Hermione and his insinuation that she'd been nothing but a vulnerable mess of a witch in the wake of Ron Weasley's murder. The raven haired wizard did not believe her to be any of those things as he watched her set to work cleaning away the mess they'd made via the tea and moving freely about her house.

While he recognized the all too familiar sight of someone in a good deal of pain, he didn't see a shred of weakness in Hermione Granger as she elected to wash her dishes the muggle way just to busy her hands as she stood before the kitchen sink.

If anything, Regulus suspected the witch had become increasingly lonely in the last few months and not a single person had been around to help her take her mind off her emptiness. He knew the feeling better than most as he took his time getting up from the sofa and entering her kitchen without making a sound.

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 _The Granger-Weasley Residence, The Burrows, Wizarding World..._

As Hermione's hands became accustomed to the soapy warm dishwater that filled the sink below her, she been trying and failing to fight back the tears that had come as a result of her no longer having anything to do to occupy her time and escape the emptiness that filled her. She let out a gasp when the familiar embrace of lengthy pale hands made their way along her sides and the half naked pale body of none other than Regulus Snape pressed against hers while he trailed a series of kisses along her exposed neck.

"Regulus..." said Hermione losing herself in the sensation of being in this surprisingly strong wizard's arms.

The son of Severus Snape had taken his cues from his father as he continued to work his charms on the saddened witch as she washed the remainder of their dishes. Months of loneliness even before the untimely death of her husband brought about a desperation in the grieving witch that she suppressed only when she was able to keep busy.

Now it had been exposed for the emotionally attuned Regulus to see as he lifted her up into the air and carried her back into the sitting room. He layed her on the sofa, turning her to face him as he set to work ridding her of her thick white housecoat and knickers.

The overwhelming sweep of emotions propelled the rather nervous witch as she briefly recalled seeing all that Regulus had been capable of when in bed and driven by his lustful side. She wrapped her legs around his now equally bare waist as he rid himself of his trousers and her teddy via magic and set to work devouring her exposed average sized breast in a bid to stimulate her further.

He kissed her passionately as the two of them began to breathe heavily in the wake of the weighted emotions surrounding their efforts to be closer to one another. Regulus had not known how Ron Weasley performed when he actually took the time to bed Hermione but he was quite sure the red head wizard wasn't as well endowed as he'd been so he took his time easing his lengthy appendage into the warmth of the witch below him causing her to gasp and cling to him in shock from the apparent stretching he'd caused.

"R-Regulus..." she panted feeling him for herself for the first time.

"Oh fuck..."hissed the raven haired wizard noting his difficulty adjusting to her size in the wake of his initial intrusion.

Seeking more passion they began to allow their mutual lust to run rampant just to silence the empty echos that dwelled within them.

Just as before in the brothel, Regulus Snape's body grew tense and he began to thrust into the warm willing witch below him. The force of his movements were so powerful that they not only jolted Hermione across the sofa but rocked it along the hard wood floor in the process.

Regulus grunted gripping the cushions of the sofa below them as he stared down at Hermione.

"Oh fuck...I knew you'd be good the moment I saw you..." he growled thrusting wildly into her body. "Fuck...yes...fuck...so...fucking good..."

His words seemed to cheer the amber eyed witch up, unbeknownst to him, she didn't believe she was very good in bed and often blamed herself for why Ron sought comfort elsewhere instead of coming back to her bed.

From her perspective, Hermione gained first hand knowledge as to why the blonde whore had been babbling as Regulus thrust into her back at the brothel. She found herself doing the same thing as he continued his frantic pace sweating up a storm in the process and flexing his back and shoulder muscles in the process.

Unable to hang on to him due to the jack-hammering motion he created when thrusting, Hermione's questing hands slid down to his well toned backside as he continued to lose himself in her warmth like a mating beast unable to control himself. The amber eyed witch believed this moment well worth their initial wait, but had been saddened that it came at the price of Ron's life as tears began to flow from her eyes and down her cheeks.

"A...Am I hurting you?" asked Regulus biting her neck and kissing her cheek.

"N-No.." she replied resolving to enjoy this heated moment with the wizard she'd been fond of for quite some time.

"Then why the tears?" asked Regulus continuing his thrusts.

"Not now..." replied Hermione stroking his pale cheek and smiling rather sleepily at him.

Regulus nodded before feeling the onset of his release and shouting loud enough to awaken the dead. Had there been anyone in the house he would have awoken them for sure. Hermione wasn't any better screaming at the top of her lungs in reaction to her own release and his powerful final thrust.

Exhausted and out of breath, Regulus collapsed onto the equally panting witch and she ran her fingers through his sweat slick raven hair. Unable to fight the powerful urge to sleep, both of them drifted off without much fuss.


	55. Chapter 54:An Awkward Morning

_**Chapter 54: An Awkward Morning**_

 _ **{A/N: Here's Another update...For Trickster32 sorry for the delay but here's one of the requested updates...}**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S**_

 _The Granger-Weasley Residence, The Burrows, Wizarding World..._

 **M** orning had taken the sleeping Regulus Snape by surprise as he opened his eyes to find himself not only naked but with an equally naked Hermione Granger asleep with her head resting against his chest. Taking a moment to bask in his minor victory over both Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, the raven haired wizard decided he'd ride this discovery out. He had no urge to indulge in a bathroom break and turned his attention toward using the fraction of daylight to note the otherwise hidden features of Hermione Granger's body.

They were still on her sofa and his antics from the previous night still lingered between them. The rather pleased wizard noted just how soft her skin had been and the minor tickle her brown curls left against his exposed pale skin.

He couldn't believe he was fortunate enough to be able to enjoy the body of the witch he'd sought since the first day he met her.

The slumbering Hermione nuzzled his neck unsure where she had been or what time of day it was. The familiar scent of herbs and fresh earth had caused her a bit of alarm as she always associated such scents with her long deceased Potions Professor.

Hermione's amber eyes shot open as she noted she'd not been in bed and the man whom she found herself clinging to was not her dearly departed husband but the young man known as Regulus Snape.

At first, the amber eyed witch had been about to panic given the implication of why the raven haired wizard had been naked as she found herself laying against him while they both lounged on her sofa. The memories of asking him to stay and the passionate escalation of their physical relationship was more or less what she recalled as his familiar obsidian gaze fell on her.

"Regulus?" she said still a bit shocked they had gotten this far.

"Don't look so surprised." he replied sitting up and leaning against the opposite end of the sofa. "It took a moment for me to get up to speed when I woke up too."

The amber eyed witch had done her best not to appear too frightened about the recent development between them, the last thing she wished to do was offend the American wizard.

Moving rather quickly, Hermione got to her feet and began picking up her clothes wishing to get dressed as soon as possible.

The tall and quite naturally impressive pale wizard got up off the sofa revealing his lengthy pale appendage in the process causing Hermione to draw away from him.

"Um...Reg...Regulus...you have to go." She said tensing at the sight of him and unsure what she'd been thinking to allow things to progress this far with him.

"Hermione..."began Regulus unsure what to make of her strange behavior. "What's got you so upset...so we had sex...granted spectacular sex...what's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that I am Ronald Weasley's widow...for Merlin sake what will my children think...their father is barely cold in the ground and here I've taken a complete stranger into my bed." said the frantic amber eyed witch.

"It's not that big of a deal." said Regulus. "People have sex all the time...some were even friends."

"I'm not those people...Or at least I never wanted to be...just go...please...You can't be here..." said Hermione still frantic.

Regulus didn't know what to say.

"Look...perhaps this is all very shocking to you or whatever but it's never really been custom to fuck someone and throw them out unless you were only interested in using them." he said suddenly annoyed. "I mean...who ruins the afterglow of great sex with viewing it as little more than a mistake?"

"I'm sorry..."said Hermione feeling rather terrible about her decision but she wasn't truly ready for another relationship not so soon after losing Ron.

Regulus sighed as he went about the sitting room collecting his attire.

"Good luck with all of your unnamed issues." he said getting dressed rather hastily and taking his leave of the upset witch.

He took off out toward Knockturn Alley in search of a pint to get him through the day unsure what to make of Hermione's frustrating behavior.

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 _Old Pub, Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World..._

Still confused about what happened that morning between himself and Hermione Granger, the younger Snape drank down another bottle full of beer before turning his attention toward back to his thoughts.

He didn't know if he made the right decision by going to Hermione's place that night, but he simply wanted the witch to know that he at least cared for her despite her grief. Initially, Harry Potter had angered him a great deal trying to ward him off pursuing a meaningful relationship with the amber eyed widow.

He'd been hiding his feelings for her ever since he met her in the wake of discovering her loyalty to her husband, but when he met Ronald Weasley and recalled the reason he met Hermione was due to the red head wizard's infidelity, all bets were off.

He couldn't see himself doing the things Ron did if he'd been married to a witch as brilliant and family oriented as Hermione had been. She did a lot for the red head wizard and there was little to no appreciation in return.

In a sense, she was just some trophy he collected during his younger days at Hogwarts to be put on a shelf and envied but that was all there was to it.

Taking another drink, Regulus found himself recalling the events of the previous night. She'd been one hell of a wildcat when it came to sex, more so than any whore he'd ever taken to bed. It was strange to think her husband found it necessary to cheat when given a chance at something like what he experienced on a nightly basis.

"Fucking idiot." said Regulus thinking back on how foolish Ronald Weasley had been.

He finished off his beer and ordered another before making his way back to Spinner's End with the memories of his time with Hermione Granger.


	56. Chapter 55:Confession Amid Confusion

_**Chapter 55: Confession Amid Confusion**_

 _ **{A/N: Here's Another update...}**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S**_

 _Spinner's End, Cokeworth, England,Wizarding World..._

 **T** he familiar keen sting had dulled some as Regulus Snape turned up is fifth bottle of firewhiskey as he sat alone in the sitting room of his late father's childhood home back in the nearly forgotten town of Cokeworth England. He had not understood what had changed between the previous night's passionate exchange with Hermione Granger and the early morning's awkward dismissal.

He had believed he'd given the witch everything she asked him to the night before, despite the uncomfortable event of having to engage her on the sofa. He understood that the bed had been off limits, she and freckles shared that bed for a good many years prior to his untimely demise.

Still it was quite a puzzling turn of events for the son of Severus Snape. He'd been half way through his bottle of firewhiskey when he heard a hurried knock on the front door. Thinking it was condescending Potter again, he answered it looking for a fight.

The raven haired wizard found himself pleasantly surprised by the appearance of Hermione Granger as she looked upon the half naked wizard nervously fiddling with her hands as she sought the appropriate use of language to offer an apology.

"I took a chance that you'd be home." she said finding it difficult to brave the harsh gaze he rightly turned upon her given her behavior toward him when morning arrived despite their closeness the night before. "I'm so sorry for the way I've treated you...it was quite a shock to awaken with you on the sofa...I'm not use to waking up beside anyone except..."

"Freckles." replied Regulus somewhat understanding.

Hermione nodded.

The towering American wizard sighed pulling Hermione in to his embrace and into the house in the process. She'd been unable to hold back her tears as she clung to him unsure if she had the right to mourn the loss of her husband especially given she'd been in the presence of her most recent lover.

"Thank you for being so understanding." she said clinging to him. "I know you two didn't get along...and I know he wasn't the best husband in the world but he was my friend long before he was my husband...we attended Hogwarts together."

"That's a hell of a long time to know somebody." replied Regulus leading her from the door way toward his sofa as he kicked the door closed behind him.

He sat down and Hermione followed ending up on his lap in place of the sofa due to a misstep despite Regulus being more comfortable with her closeness. He kissed her shoulder taking care to wrap his arms around her while holding onto the bottle of firewhiskey that he'd carried with him to the door when he answered it.

"You drink this swill?" she asked with an arched brow.

"It's the old man's go to drink." replied Regulus with something of a smirk. "Being such an expert on him you think you'd know that."

"He didn't make it a habit of drinking in front of students." said Hermione with narrowed eyes in defense of her former Potions Professor.

"Of course not." replied Regulus with the continued smirk. "So...about last night...was it a one time thing or...?"

Hermione took a moment to consider her reply.

"Last night was exactly what I needed." she admitted. "But I'd be lying if I didn't bring up the fact that it was mostly due to my needing to feel something other than despair over the loss of Ron."

Regulus nodded in understanding.

"So where does that leave us?" he asked with an arched brow in the style of his late father.

Hermione didn't offer a reply this time around as she turned to face him pressing her lips into his pale ones. Regulus returned the kiss without a moment's hesitation and the two of them found themselves trailing along the line of the previous night's antics.

A growl escaped the son of the Potions Professor as he pressed the amber eyed witch against his father's threadbare sofa and they began to increase the intensity of their mutual kissing.

"Fuck..." said Regulus feeling his erection get the better of him. "If this isn't what you want you'd better tell me now because if we go any further I don't think I can stop myself."

Hermione smiled at him noting his genuine concern for her.

"It's what I want." she replied kissing him once more.

Regulus groaned before lifting the witch and himself off the sofa and started toward the narrow staircase leading to the bedrooms on the second floor of the slowly renovated brick house that had once belonged to Headmaster Severus Snape.

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 _The Master Bedroom, Spinner's End, Cokeworth England, Muggle World..._

The moment Hermione Granger's back touched the mattress of the master bedroom, she knew the extent of what Regulus Snape had been holding back during their time on the sofa. His powerful thrusts had tossed her about the bed much as they had the whore he'd been bedding upon their first meeting.

She couldn't help but wince upon the onset of his entry given how much larger he'd been than Ron and her lack of practice with someone as experienced as him. For his part, Regulus was unable to think of anyone he'd taken to be being as good as the witch he had below him amid the tangled mass of crisp white sheets and tossed about pillows.

"Fuck..." he hissed each time he slid between her slender thighs in the wake of his repeated thrusts. "Fuck...so...good...fuck..."

He had gotten more into the act but Hermione politely discouraged his willingness to forget she'd been a bit more out of practice than the whores he'd taken in the past.

"S-Sorry." he grunted still thrusting albeit at a slower pace to get her use to his massive size. "Force of habit."

Hermione sighed as she found herself reeling from the onset of pleasure due to this less than savory American wizard. It still amazed her that he was the son of her former Potions Professor well hidden from the world in the wake of his spy work for the Order of Phoenix.

"Fuck this is so hot...who the fuck leaves a witch as good in bed as you are for a frequently used whore..." groaned Regulus losing himself in the sensation of pleasure that filled him as he continued to thrust into the amber eyed witch whom had reached up a placed a finger against his lips.

He kissed her along the exposed flesh of her neck without another word.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 _Unknown Location, Unknown World..._

The masked wizard known as Arcturus had been pleased with the news of the deaths of Ronald Weasley and Kingsley Shackbolt hit the streets and everyone was on edge waiting for Harry Potter to do something about the dangerous group that had taken the wizarding world by storm.

"Everything is going according to plan, father." said the masked wizard. "You shall be avenged in due time and the wizarding world will never be so bold as to declare that idiot Potter a hero in your wake ever again."

Arcturus turned his attention to the crowd of his stanch followers all masked and wearing dark black robes.

"It is time we put the next phase of the plan into action." he announced. "Let's give the wizarding world that which they desire most and put their minds at ease...if only for the moment."


	57. Chapter 56:Well Meaning In Changes

_**Chapter 56: Well Meaning In Changes**_

 _ **{A/N: Here's Another update...}**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S**_

 _ **{"What day is it...And in what month...This clock never seemed so alive...I can't keep up and I can't back down...I've been losing so much time...Cause there's you and me...And of all people with nothing to do...Nothing to lose...And there's you and me...And of all other people...And I don't know why...I can't keep my eyes off of you...What are the things That I want to say...Just aren't coming out right...I'm tripping on words...You got my head spinning...I don't know where to go from here..."}You And Me, Lifehouse**_

 _The Master Bedroom, Spinner's End, Cokeworth, England, Muggle World..._

 **N** ear on nightfall caught the sleeping wizard and witch as they enjoyed the blissful silenced that filled the former home of the late Potions Professor turned Headmaster of Hogwarts Severus Snape. After a few moments of shifting in their collective slumber, Regulus was hit with the sudden urge to adhere to the call of nature opening his obsidian eyes to a vision of perfection in the form of the sleeping witch beside him in the bed that had once belonged to his paternal grandparents. He smirked as he fumbled out of bed, trying his best not to awaken the witch least she feel the need to part ways with him before he was ready.

A quick trip to the loo saw him making his way back across the darkened narrow hall and back into the bedroom as Hermione began to stir. Regulus knew all too well that she wouldn't see much of a reason to stick around, due to her telling him earlier that she wished for their encounters to remain a secret. He had agreed, more or less due to being drunk and wanting nothing more than to get her into bed.

As he watched her in the blissful silence of his now apparent bedroom, he noted how much she appeared to be at peace despite all that had happened in the past few months. He didn't know much about his father's teaching methods or what he thought of Hermione Granger, but he wondered if the older wizard would have been at least a bit intrigued by his choice of a companion.

Climbing back into bed, Regulus got her seemingly divided attention via soft and frequently well placed kisses along the exposed flesh of her neck and breasts. Hermione seemed content to lie there for a little while longer running her fingers through his lengthy raven hair.

"Hey Beautiful." he said with a smile filed across his pale face while he continued to kiss her body.

"What time is it?" asked Hermione taking a moment to stretch upon awakening.

"Nearing nine I think." replied Regulus rolling onto his back on the mattress beside her and looking up at the ceiling.

"Nine!?" she said sounding a bit alarmed. "I didn't intend to stay here that long...I've got to get back to the children."

Regulus smirked noting her apparent panic.

She launched herself out of bed giving the young wizard a nice view of her uncovered body as she moved about collecting articles of her discarded clothing. He thought her scrambling was amusing to say the least as he sat up, leaning to one side as he continued to watch her.

"Have you seen my knickers?" she asked moving about the room with a small pile of clothing in her arms.

"I have I seen your what?" asked Regulus confused despite his amusement at her scrambling.

"My knickers...oh never mind...Accio Knickers." she said summoning them via her wand.

Regulus shook his head as he watched her get dressed risking life and limb all for the sake of rushing back to her children.

He waved his hand and she was completely dressed and avoided a near on nasty tumbled in the process.

"Thank you." she said moving toward the bedroom door.

He climbed out of bed and made his way over toward her, inadvertently backing her against the door.

"How about a proper thank you." he said with a smirk. "I did assist you after all."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Are you sure Ilvermorny doesn't have a Slytherin House?" she asked with an arched brow. "Because I could swear you are a Slytherin."

Taking that as a compliment, he pressed his pale lips into hers rendering her speechless for a moment.

"I...have to go." she said biting her lower lip and meeting his mesmerizing eyes of obsidian.

"Don't be a stranger." he replied kissing her once more.

"I...I really have to go." she said scooting out of his grasp and making her way out of the door.

Regulus smirked once more as she fumbled down the stairs and rushed out the front door as if she figured he'd come after her.

Finding himself alone once more, the younger Snape made his way toward the sitting room. There was an unfinished bottle of firewhiskey downstairs with his name on it and he intended to finish off the night in celebration of his new found relationship or whatever this had turned out to be between him and the recently widowed mother of two.

He thought quietly on Harry Potter's threat if he intended to pursue Hermione in a romantic sense. There was little the so called "hero of the wizarding world" could do to him given that he was well within his right to pursue a relationship with the witch of his own accord.

Ronald Weasley had not exactly been a saint and he did little in terms of seeing to his marriage to Hermione in the first place. His death changed nothing in Regulus' eyes. If the freckle face fool couldn't see just how special Hermione was when he was alive there was no reason to believe his death would make the rift any better.

Unlike Weasley, Regulus had a feeling that life with Hermione Granger at his side would be more than enough to garner enjoyment. He had never really thought about having children despite his numerous entanglements with witches and muggle women alike, but he knew that Hermione and her children were a package deal and he was more than willing to accept them.

If anything, he understood what the two younger Weasley's were going through better than anyone due to his late father Severus Snape's passing and the recent loss of his mother. He knew how important it was to focus on something other than the loss and to have friends even friends that weren't known very well in one's corner if immediate family couldn't be reached.

With a sigh, Regulus made his way down the stairs and grabbed the bottle of firewhiskey he had started on earlier in the day. Looking down into the swirling brown liquid, he had come to a decision that would shape his future with Hermione for the days and nights to come. Moving through the darkened sitting room, the raven haired wizard made his way into the kitchen.

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 _The Kitchen, Spinner's End, Cokeworth England, Muggle World..._

Staring down at the bottle he held so tightly within his pale hands, Regulus Snape uncorked to top and turned the bottle upside down over the kitchen sink watching as the last of his father's preferred drink trailed down the sink.

Thinking about the children and what they must have been going through put a great deal of things into perspective for Regulus as he continued to empty the firewhiskey bottles. He cared a great deal for Hermione and wanted more with her than to be the man she decided to screw in the dead of night. Living like a dirty secret wasn't exactly what he had in mind and it wasn't what he had gone through all of the trouble of being decent for. He could have sex with any witch if that were the case.

The obsidian eyes of Regulus Snape continued to stare down into the sink where the last of his whiskey had gone. He came to terms with his thoughts and what he truly wanted out of life. His father managed to have a family despite the chaos of his lifestyle and the uncertainty of their futures. It stood to reason that perhaps it was time for him to settle down or at the very least see what life would be like if he could.

When he finished emptying the bottle, Regulus set to work cleaning up the mess he'd made in the wake of his attempt to drown his sorrows. He wanted to prove to Hermione that she didn't have to be ashamed of him and their relationship, whatever it turned out to be.


	58. Chapter 57:The Edge Of Uncertainty

_**Chapter 57: The Edge Of Uncertainty**_

 _ **{A/N: Here's Another update...}**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S**_

 _The Bathroom, The Snape Residence, Spinner's End, Cokeworth England, Muggle World..._

 **S** treaming hot water beat against the pale flesh of the soap slick Regulus Snape as he continued to wash beneath the shower head cleansing away the dirt and grime of an afternoon of work and in the hot sun to restore his father's house to what he believed it might have looked like if the condition had been kept up. The younger Snape's raven hair had been completely soaked and covering his face in a dark curtain that split due to his nose, much like his father's hair use to whenever he stepped into the shower.

Regulus thought back to the night he spent with Hermione Granger and wondered if he had been getting vastly ahead of himself. She had been one hell of a witch to take to bed, but he wasn't too sure that she wanted anything more with him. At the very least she saw him a little more than a "friend with benefits".

With a sigh, Regulus contented himself to simply enjoying whatever time he had with Hermione and the memories of their informal courtship resulting in mind blowing sex as far as he had been concerned. He'd been drunk both encounters and resolved himself to experience the witch without the use of liquid courage.

Finishing up his shower, the naked and dripping pale wizard stepped out into the cold open air and made his way toward the bedroom wrapping a thin formerly white towel around his waist. His lengthy raven locks dangled wetly against his back and shoulders sometimes sticking to his sallow pale face due to his movement.

He couldn't get the vivid images of the witch's kiss from his mind as he entered his grandparent's former bedroom. It still smelled of her, the lingering scent of sex and jasmine made him grin in recollection.

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 _The Study, The Potter Residence, The Burrow, Wizarding World..._

Harry James Potter was rather flustered that he was yet to bring his brother in law's murderer to justice. Everything about the so called Serpent Brothers Of Destruction made little to no sense as far as he'd been concerned. Every time he believed he was getting to the bottom of whom they were or what they wanted there would be something that throws him off entirely. The only time he seemed to have been making actual progress was when Regulus Snape lent a hand.

 _Regulus Snape._

Ron was quite adamant that Regulus had something to do with what was happening and he made quite a few valid points as to the fact that the organization showed up when Regulus entered their lives. There was also the nagging sense that Regulus was infatuated with Hermione even before Ron's death, there was a good bit of jealousy between him and Ron and it served as quite the motive for whatever was going on.

Harry slammed his fists on his desk in annoyance. The attacks seeming to have stopped altogether didn't bode well for the future and it especially made the green eyed wizard quite curious as to why this even occurred. He believed the entire groups mission was to get vengeance for Severus Snape in some way.

Feeling confused he got to his feet and attempted to walk to clear his mind. Making a note of Hermione's change in personality. When Ron died, she hardly ever left the house or the children now she was going about her life as if he was never there. It angered the green eyed wizard to no end to see that she could possibly have moved on and it did little to make him feel assured about her future.

He had warned the charismatic socially inept wizard Regulus that Hermione wasn't someone to add to his collection of bed mates. Of course he had not expected a wizard so use to getting what he wanted to follow the rules. He hadn't even given Hermione time to grieve Ron's passing before he attempted to assert himself into her life.

Harry balled his fists.

There was no way he was going to allow a bloke like Regulus Snape to hurt Hermione, especially not in her fragile state due to Ron's death.

The more Harry thought on it, the more he had come to the conclusion that he didn't like the looks of the younger Snape not one bit as he recalled the instances of the Serpent Brothers' attacks. Each time Regulus Snape was there at the scene meeting one of his friends or family members.

Ron had spoken of being attacked at a pub and Regulus just so happened to be there to assist him, then he did the same for him, Ginny, and Hermione. The fact that the American based wizard just so happened to have shown up during attacks by the newly formed organization of terrorists dedicated to tormenting those who have in their eyes wronged Severus Snape of all people gave a strong indication that this had more to do with Regulus than Harry initially believed.

"It has to be him." said the green eyed wizard coming to a forgone conclusion. "Snape's his father, the group didn't show up until he arrived, Ron was his rival for Hermione's affections...he has the means, the motive and when I can prove it...the opportunity."

Harry thought of Ron Weasley and his blood began to boil in his veins.

"You were right about that bloke all along mate...I should have seen this coming...he's Snape's son...the group is out to avenge Snape it makes so much sense now...why he always seemed to show up whenever there was an altercation...why you never liked him..." he said softly to himself. "And I swear to you I'm going to make him pay for what he's done to you and to your family...bollocks...he's been after Hermione this whole time..."

Harry's green eyes drifted toward his wife and daughter as they moved about the house outside of his study. He recalled the cowardly attack on his wife and children and Regulus conveniently coming to their aid.

"That son of a bitch." growled Harry still balling his fists. "I swear it Ron, I'll make him pay."


	59. Chapter 58:A Beautiful Mystery

**_Chapter 58: A Beautiful Mystery_**

 ** _{A/N: Here's Another update...}_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 _The Snape Residence, Spinner's End, Cokeworth England, Muggle World..._

 **U** nable to get Hermione Granger off his mind for more than a moment, Regulus Snape had wanted her to see that he was at least making an effort to be more than just the guy she climbed into bed with on a nightly basis. He had been giving serious thought to taking her on dates and possibly meeting her children. She had explained on more than one occasion that she wanted to take things slowly despite their sexual connection, but Regulus didn't wish to allow time for Harry Potter to get into her ear and warn her away from him. He'd been through quite enough when it came to losing those he cared for and he'd been unwilling to allow the likes of Harry Potter to dictate his love life.

The younger Snape had gone out of his way to ensure the house had been cleaned and his construction projects were completed by the time Hermione Granger arrived. He had planned to let her know just how much being with her meant to him but had concerns of wither or not his impulsive behavior was going a step too far given all the witch had gone through in terms of the last lengthy relationship she had been in ending in betrayal and the death of her husband.

Wrestling with the idea of possibly putting her off, Regulus decided to simply enjoy being in the witch's company for the time being despite knowing how hard it would be to pretend that their relationship was simply about sex and secrecy.

Still, the threats made by Harry Potter weighted heavily on him. He had no intention of backing down given how he felt about Hermione Granger but there was always the nagging feeling that Harry Potter could derail any potential they had for something real out of pure spite.

Regulus had done his best to appear charming as he heard the knocking coming from his front door. Scrambling down the stairs after giving himself one last once over before leaving the bathroom, he scrambled toward the door opening it to find Hermione looking a bit stressed but amused by his less than savory appearance and charm.

"Were you going to pull the door off it's hinges?" she asked still very much amused.

Regulus smirked.

"If I had to." he replied smoothly.

The amber eyed witch looked him over, noting how elegantly dressed he had been with his black suit and matching highly polished dress shoes.

"You look...good." she said rather nervously.

"You look good enough to fuck." he said with a heated gleam behind his obsidian eyes.

Hermione shook her head noting his crude vocabulary as she stepped inside his home at his behest.

Regulus' attention had been at her backside as she stepped inside his sitting room.

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 _The Sitting Room, The Snape Residence, Spinner's End, Cokeworth England, Muggle World..._

The elegant set up of the furniture had been impressive as Hermione Granger found herself being moved toward the table he'd set up for dinner. She smiled knowing that Regulus seemed to have put a great deal of effort into this night and he had even dressed up for the occasion. Still she had her reservations about what ever this was that was progressing between them.

"You like it?" he asked stepping behind her wrapping his arms around her waist.

Hermione leaned back into his embrace noting how she'd been surprisingly under dressed for the occasion given she'd come in a pair of light colored jeans and a randomly selected t-shirt. Her reasoning had been that he'd be more interested in getting her out of her clothes than noting what she had chosen to wear.

"I feel a bit under-dressed." she said acknowledging the intimate set up aloud.

"You look perfect." replied Regulus softly kissing her neck as he continued to hold her slender frame against his own.

"If you say so." she replied losing herself in his series of kisses.

Regulus seemed amused by her lack of belief in just how attractive she had been. He suspected the years of having been cheated on by her useless husband had dulled her perception of herself.

"Well...let's get dinner under way and then we can talk about how appropriate your outfit is." he said kissing her one last time before leading her toward the table.

He appeared to have been quite serious about their having diner before getting down to their new found pastime.

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 _Hours Later..._

Hermione could not ignore the rather easy comfort that came from being in the presence of Regulus Snape. He had not been a conventional lover, more or less bordering on being an unruly teen than a young man older than she and her childhood friends. He seemed to have gotten a good deal of his father's blunt persona despite it not being as refined due to his upbringing in the States.

Following the surprisingly skillfully prepared dinner, Hermione found herself once more sharing a sofa with her course lover Regulus.

"You're so much like him you know." she said breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen between the two of them. "But vastly different at the same time."

"That...doesn't make any sense." said Regulus with a smirk. "How can I be just like my old man but vastly different...at the same time?"

"I don't know how to explain it." replied Hermione letting herself ease back into the comfort that came from being in her newest lover's presence. "Professor Snape was...well proper and refined..."

Regulus laughed when she spoke about his father.

"You obviously didn't know my father very well." replied the raven haired wizard in amusement. "My Dad was as course as me he just hid it behind an accent and a sense of superiority...hell where do you think I learned my best moves?"

"If that's the case then I guess I'm entirely fortunate to have his son in my bed." she said before kissing the amused wizard.

"Technically, we're on my sofa." he said with a low growl before moving until he towered above the witch whom had taken it upon herself to wrap her legs around him.

A series of heated kisses later, and Hermione found herself staring rather curiously up at the impressive wizard as his obsidian gaze met her own amber eyes in mutual silent appreciation.

"You're a beautiful mystery Regulus Snape." she said speaking for the first time in a short while.

"And you're just beautiful." he replied kissing her again with a good deal more passion.

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 _The Bedroom, Spinner's End, Cokeworth England, Muggle World..._

Hermione clung to Regulus noting just how tall and equally powerful the wizard had been as he carried her with relative ease toward the bed they had shared on more than one occasion following their relationships' progression to include that of sexual intimacy.

The hall as well as the sitting room had been littered with their attire for the evening as Regulus and Hermione succumbed to their mutual passion. It was a clear night and filled with unspoken understanding despite both parties being rather nervous about the conclusion to their encounter.

At the moment, their mutual fears seemed to have been expelled as their long awaited act had finally gotten underway.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

 _Outside, Spinner's End, Cokeworth England, Muggle World..._

The determined expression filed across the face of the enraged Harry Potter had been a very clear indication of his intent for being at his former Potions Professor's childhood home and he had not been alone as a handful of Aurors were at his side each with the same goal in mind as they surrounded the newly repaired brick house that once belonged to the deceased former Headmaster of Hogwarts.

"Alright, let's make this quick and efficient we don't want him getting away to cause more harm and we don't need any muggles interfering." said one of the higher ranking Aurors.

"Ensure you get Regulus Snape but be careful not to harm Hermione." said Harry ensuring everyone followed the plan he had come up with to the letter.


	60. Chapter 59:The Accused

_**Chapter 59: The Accused**_

 _ **{A/N: Here's Another update...}**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.**_

 _The Snape Residence, Spinner's End, Cokeworth England, Muggle World..._

 **R** egulus Snape had been enjoying his latest coupling with Hermione Granger when he felt a sudden and sharp pain run from down his spine in the form of brazen electrical charges from a rather sinister brand of spells. The combination of random pain just as he was about to hit his point of release during his encounter with a now terrified amber eyed witch caused him to release anyway before he collapsed on top of her.

The door to his bedroom had been kicked open and a rather groggy Regulus rolled onto his back beside the nervous and equally naked Hermione as she tried to make sense of what was going on around them.

"What is the meaning of this!?" she asked recognizing the Aurors that entered the bedroom. "Why are you attacking a defenseless wizard!?"

"H-Hermione..." said Regulus trying to come to his senses.

The first thing that came to mind was Harry Potter making good on his threat to have him arrested for seeing Hermione Granger and he found himself growing quite furious as a result. Geek boy had the audacity to storm his father's home with Aurors no less.

"This is for your own good Mione." said the voice of Harry Potter as he entered the bedroom not at all taking his emerald green eyes off the groggy Regulus. "We have reason to believe that Regulus Snape is responsible for the murder of Ron and Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"W-What the fuck?" growled Regulus attempting to sit up only to be knocked back down onto the bed via a swift right from an angry Auror. "I...I didn't do shit to freckles."

"What are you talking about Harry?" asked Hermione pulling the available sheet up toward her chin as her best friend ran down his suspicions concerning the son of Severus Snape.

"He's got the most to gain with both Ron and Kingsley out of the way." said Harry. "With Ron gone he had a clear path to you and with Kingsley gone he could further his cause in bringing attention to Snape's legacy with more blood and violence."

"THAT'S A LIE!" shouted Regulus only to be hit again.

"Harry this is a serious accusation." said Hermione with tears in her eyes. "I mean...what you are suggesting is that..."

"This greasy git killed Ron to get to you." said Harry narrowing his eyes at his best friend. "He would stop at nothing to have you Mione and thought he could get away with playing both sides...like his father."

"No..." said Hermione finding it difficult to believe that the son of Severus Snape would stoop so low. "You're mistaken Harry."

"I have proof!" shouted the angry wizard. "Accompany us to the Ministry of Magic...it's all capture footage even what happened to Ron..I saw it myself this bastard's responsible...Mione he killed Ron and Kingsley and now he's going to pay for it."

Regulus attempted to defend himself once more.

"Hermione I never..." he began.

"SAVE IT." hissed the amber eyed witch narrowing her gaze at her soon to be former lover. "Once we get back to the office we will all know if you are telling the truth."

Regulus sighed in relative defeat.

"Whatever you say gorgeous." he said resigned to his being taken into custody while this whole mess was sorted out.

Harry Potter's emerald green eyes were narrowed in his direction as the Aurors escorted the naked Regulus Snape from his bedroom. Hermione had been kind enough to transfigure the bloke a pair of trousers before getting dressed herself once the room had been clear.

"You're making a mistake Potter." hissed Regulus as he was escorted out of his father's childhood home.

"I don't think so Snape." replied Harry meeting his gaze. "You won't ever be able to hurt any of my friends again."

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 _The Interrogation Room,The Ministry of Magic Offices, Wizarding World..._

Regulus Snape sat quietly amid blaring white lights and grim faces in the shadows that surrounded him. He knew all too well they were sizing him up as Harry Potter continued to spin his wild tale of how he had been responsible for the attacks on the wizarding world and the deaths of Ronald Weasley and the former Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt.

He'd still been shirtless with his lengthy raven hair draped at his shoulders and his arms chained behind his back as he sat in the cold steel chair amid the heated lights uncomfortable to say the least as his interrogation began to get underway.

The young raven haired wizard sighed, not at all sure how his day had started with so much promise and ended with such a twisted ploy.

He's spent the better part of three hours observing this place and the people handling his supposed "case" without saying a word. He'd been tired from the emotional upheaval and more than a little embittered by the entire experience. He'd done no wrong and yet he was being treated as if he'd been the most hated man in wizarding history.

He had not long to sit in the white hot glow of the interrogation light before Hermione Granger came storming into the room, tears streaming down her cheeks and rage behind her amber eyes.

"Hermione...what?" he began only to find himself on the receiving end of a resounding slap across the face.

"How could you?" she asked bitterly.

"I...I don't know..." began Regulus again only to find himself weathering another blow from the angry witch.

"HOW COULD YOU KILL MY HUSBAND!" she shouted striking him again and again with all her fury propelling her.

Regulus weathered the blows struggling to free himself from his binds in a bid to offer her comfort.

"I didn't...Hermione I didn't." he said attempting to reason with her.

"LIAR!" she shouted enraged. "YOU MURDERED HIM!"

"Hermione...babe I didn't touch Freckles...I swear on my life I never went anywhere near him...Potter's just trying to break us up by having you hate me...he said he'd do it himself not too long ago..." explained Regulus only for his words to fall on deaf ears.

"Then how do you explain this?" asked Hermione lifting her hand and showing the now utterly confused wizard the footage of what occurred during the final battle between the dark figure known as Arcturus and Ronald Weasley.

It appeared that during the scuffle that Ron had ended up removing the mask from the dark wizard revealing a man with a face exactly like that of Regulus Snape.

"T-That's not me." said Regulus.

"Right." said Hermione appearing to have been past believing him.

"Hermione this is the wizarding world it could be some creep with a polyjuice potion or something..." said Regulus trying to rationalize why he'd been in the footage when he was no where near the scene.

"Nice try." said Harry walking into the room. "But we have evidence to prove that it was in fact you at the scene of the crime."

Regulus narrowed his eyes at Harry.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT POTTER!?" hissed The raven haired wizard much too aggravated for Harry's nonsense.

Harry lifted his wand and cast a spell that hit the wizard in the shoulder revealing the scar he had gotten from his time in the dark wizard's clutches.

"Care to explain the SBD tattoo matching the exact one on your arm the day you murdered Ron?" asked the green eyed wizard narrowing his gaze at the son of his former Potions Master.

"I got it the day I let myself get captured trying to save Hermione's kids." explained Regulus. "I went into the sewer to cause a distraction for her...you remember...Hermione."

The amber eyed witch recalled the events but the evidence against Regulus was all too damning and her fury got the better of her.

"Regulus Snape, I'm officially charging you with the murders of all those people in Diagon Alley and the deaths of Ronald Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt." said Harry sounding quite sure of himself. "I sentence you to serving out a life sentence in Azkaban for the remainder of your natural life."

"Fuck you Potter you're not a fucking judge so to hell with your fucking charges." hissed Regulus. "You orchestrated this somehow...and when I get out of here I'm going to beat the shit out of you."

Harry had been quite smug about the whole ordeal believing himself to finally have thwarted the latest menace to step foot in the wizarding world. Angered beyond belief about the false charges and elaborate lies put against him, Regulus' temper got the better of him and he ended up tearing the seat from the floor and rushing Harry with his hands still behind his back.

The Boy Who Lived found himself being rammed into the nearby wall as Regulus Snape took barely a fraction of his frustrations out upon the green eyed Auror in the form of ramming his shoulder into the smug bastard's significantly smaller torso.

The Aurors came rushing in and grabbing the struggling Regulus as he attempted to punish Harry and appeal to Hermione's sense of reason.

Harry was pulled to safety as the rush of Aurors began beating and shocking the struggling raven haired wizard. Hermione took her leave of them not wishing to see what they would do to the enraged Regulus nor his own violent acts due to the vivid parallels between the man she had not to long ago shared a bed with and the monster that murdered her husband.

Unfortunately for her, Regulus was pulled from the interrogation room bloodied and reeling from a series of magical shocks bound at his ankles as well as his wrists.

"HERMIONE!" he shouted attempting to get her attention as she continued to ignore him. "Hermione, I would never hurt you or your children...you've got to know that...Hermione...HERMIONE I LOVE YOU...DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING THAT POTTER SAYS HE'S JUST TRYING TO CONTROL YOUR LIFE...HERMIONE!"

Fed up with his formidable attitude, the closest Auror to him knocked Regulus Snape unconscious as they drug him away to be transported to Azkaban. Harry Potter managed to compose himself as he limped from the interrogation room struggling to suppress his own injuries in the wake of being tackled and placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"It's alright Mione." he said softly. "We finally got justice for Ron."

The amber eyed witch couldn't help the tears that trailed down her cheeks the last few remnants of her feelings for the wizard that had so callously made her a widow.

"Yes." she said in agreement. "We did."


	61. Chapter 60:The Hopelessness Of Convicti

_**Chapter 60: The Hopelessness Of Conviction**_

 _ **{A/N: Here's Another update...}**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.**_

 _ **{"You try to string me up...You can never get the best of me...But I think I'll like you better...When you get what you deserve...Give it some time to sink in...Just give me some time to figure it out...Just give me some time to think here...Just give it some time...And you'll get what you deserve...You'll get what you deserve, you'll get what you deserve...You'll get what you deserve, you'll get what's coming...You'll get what you deserve, you'll get what you deserve...You'll get what you deserve, you'll get what's coming...You'll get what's coming..."}What You Deserve, Theory Of A Deadman**_

 _Unknown Cell, Azkaban Prison, Outskirts Of The Wizarding And Muggle Worlds..._

 **H** igh walls of solitary grey surrounded the new arrival Regulus Snape as he found himself tossed into a cold cell in the middle of nowhere. He had heard stories about Azkaban Prison but never in his nightmares had he imagined ever having to inhabit a place as dreary and soul crushing as this wretched place.

Glaring into the emptiness of his chosen cell the son of Severus Snape tried to make sense of his predicament. Harry Potter had managed to get him thrown in Azkaban of all places.

The raven haired wizard had not how long he'd been in this place as time seemed to crawl without end here. There were no sun rises nor sun sets, only the vast gray void that surrounded them all. Ensnaring them all in it's misery invoking mists.

Hermione had not believed him when he told her he had not hurt her husband. The damning footage of him storming the ministry of magic offices had been what tipped the scales in Harry Potter's oppressive favor.

"How the hell could she believe that I would...?" began Regulus trying his best to understand her confusion.

Judging by the way his facial hair had begun to sprout along his grim looking face,he guessed he'd been in his new place for a week before his rage subsided enough for him to have a rational thought outside of beating the life out of Harry James Potter.

The little imp had saw to it that the judge ruled in favor of him remaining in Azkaban for the rest of his life pinning the _SBD's_ destruction wave on him as well as the murders of Kingsley Shacklebolt and Hermione Granger's war hero husband Ron Weasley.

The American raised wizard found out first hand just how much his being a Snape worked against him at the court proceedings. They didn't hesitate in the least to find him guilty of a crime he never committed.

Worst had not been the utter humiliation nor the bias hatred, but Hermione's out right rejection of him.

It hurt worse than the beating he got at the hands of the Aurors before, during and after his rather rushed hearing. They seemed to all have little doubt in his involvement with the strange group terrorizing the Wizarding World.

"FUCK!...FUCK!" shouted the enraged Regulus as he attempted to get to his feet. "FUCKING LYING LITTLE SHIT!"

Growled the enraged wizard as he found himself beating his fists against the cold stone wall. He had forgotten for a moment how painful the most recent round of welcoming had been when they chained him up to do the honors and winced once the agony of his foolish act hit him full on.

"DAMN IT!" he hissed crumbling to the stone floor with his back against the wall clutching his injured hand. "How the hell could this happen?"

For the first time in his life, Regulus Snape knew what if meant to be without hope and even worse without a single ally. The poor lad had a difficult time with isolation in his childhood and now here he was sentenced to remain in Azkaban for crimes against the wizarding world.

 _Azkaban._

The very prison that his father had endured when he was but a small boy.

The place that ate away at even the most capable of witches and wizards with or without the patrolling swarms of dementors.

 _And it was all because of Harry fucking Potter._

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 _Elsewhere..._

Strong footsteps made their way through a maze of tunnels and darkened corridors until a low level messenger found himself approaching the cloaked dark wizard known to all as Arcturus. The robed messenger bowed in respect to the wizard as he marveled at how the leader of the Serpent Brother's Of Destruction's plans had come to fruition in terms of the son of the fallen Headmaster of Hogwarts, Severus Snape.

"Everything has gone according to your plans Lord Prince." said the messenger momentarily forgetting his place as he noted the swift shift in the cloaked dark wizard's movements as he rammed him into a nearby wall.

"DID I GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO USE MY NAME!?" hissed Arcturus in fury.

"N-No my lord...I was simply caught up in the moment reveling in your skillful tact." fumbled the messenger.

Arcturus glared rather furiously behind his mask.

The rage that seemed to have built up inside him boiled over and he found himself tossing his messenger aside as if he were mere waste before pulling the mask from his face and smashing it into pieces.

"I take no pleasure in having to condemn my own flesh and blood to the hellish pit that is Azkaban." he said with a look of utter sorrow filed across his now exposed sallow pale face.

"It was a necessary evil...you said so yourself." replied the messenger attempting to smooth things over with his infuriated ruler.

"One meant to open the eyes of my brother to the evils of those he surrounded himself with...I know..." said the formidable dark wizard known as Arcturus. "Yet...I feel the agony of my twin brother almost as if it were my own...for every ounce of pain he endures in that place this world shall tremble because of it."

The Messenger nodded knowing all too well that his master had every intention of delivering on that promise.

"I still can't fathom how it is possible that Regulus Snape and you are twins my lord." said the messenger in amazement. "Both the sons of Severus Snape...and yet raised so far apart."

"Consider yourself fortunate that I don't end your miserable existence here and now for the waggling of your tongue."

The messenger cringed in fear as Arcturus moved past him and toward his private chambers.

"I wish to be alone...do not follow me." he hissed in his fury as he stormed down the darkened corridor, his black robes billowing behind him with as much intensity as those of his father use to during his patrols at Hogwarts.


	62. Chapter 61:Cold Comforts From Within

_**Chapter 61: Cold Comforts From Within**_

 _ **{A/N: Here's Another update...}**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.**_

 _ **{"Have I ever thought of this before...Did I ever look behind the door...Have I ever tried to understand...Did I listen to the Other hand...Have I ever tried to see...Parts of you that aren't a part of me...Did I ever really want to know...Or am I just drifting with the flow...Lead me to the angle of your life...Let me see from there...Lead me to the angle and I'll try...To see the world from there...Why is it that I'm so full of hate...Why am I so dumb but so afraid...Have I ever tried to understand...Did I listen to the other hand...Why am I so dumb?...Why am I so blind sooo, Narrow minded..."}The Angle, Core**_

 _Unknown Cell, Azkaban Prison, Outskirts Of The Wizarding And Muggle Worlds..._

 **B** lood continued to drip from the latest wounds issued to a half weak and embittered Regulus Snape as he sat leaning against the same stone wall that had been his only source of support since he had been thrown into the lifeless stone cell. Between regular bouts of aggravation due to having no way to undo his current situation and the fact that Harry Potter had been successful at turning Hermione against him and feelings of misery due to utter hopelessness, Regulus found himself alone once more following a routine beating at the hands of Harry Potter's stanch supporters dedicated to making sure the enemies of the former "boy who lived" endured suffering until they begged for death that would not be granted to them.

His situation had been made all the worse due to being a Snape accused of murdering a former war hero leaving his widow and children to fend for themselves. Ever since his imprisonment the ailing young wizard found that many of the guards reference his father having been responsible for the death of notorious Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore during the second wizarding war changing the playing field so to speak in favor of the dark lord and his death eaters. Despite it now being common knowledge that Severus Snape was in fact a spy working for the former Headmaster no one was willing to accept anything aside from Harry Potter having been the one to win the war for the side opposing the despot and everyone with his backing.

Before hand, Regulus had not been bothered by the talk of his father's rather checkered past but given the guards took their hatred of Severus Snape out on his son they seemed to go out of their way to beat him into a bloodied pulp before casting him back into his cell before he was given a reprieve in death.

This afternoon...if one could call it that considering it seemed as if the sun refused to shine in this dreary place and telling the difference between day and night had been anyone's best guess with no window. Regulus wiped the blood from his head as he sat catching his breath and computing all of the notions of pain to memory, his only means of entertainment in the darkened cell as he sought a means of distraction from the maddening walls of gray.

One of the guards had been serving when his father had been placed here and went out of his way to inform the younger Snape of his father's trials in Azkaban long before he had been of the mind to venture from the shores of North America.

In the darkness of his prison cell, Regulus Snape's mind traveled back to the last time he saw his father. Despite being drunk and clearly upset as he moved through the house hold, the boy had been desperate to get his attention. His words were cold but none the less true in the eyes of the world around them even in a place such as this their bite held it's lasting stinging effects.

 _{Because you are my son..."}_ _Severus Snape had said with contempt and bitterness in his tone as he spoke to his adult aged son for the first time since arriving that night._ _{"And you carry the same darkness in you that I have long denied in myself."}_

Tears streamed down the younger Snape's sallow pale cheek as he recalled leaving his mother in tears to lose himself in various forms of vice much as his father had that night. The craving for a bottle of firewhiskey had never been stronger as he sat in the silence that filled his cold and lonely cell contemplating the turn his life had taken ever since. He had loved Hermione Granger, for whatever the trouble of pursuing a relationship had been worth for her to simply turn her back on him in favor of her best friend's lies. Yet it was never more clear that she had not reciprocated his feelings in the least.

His father's harsh words echoed in his mind again as he continued to sit in silence reflecting on his past mistakes.

 _{"Foolish boy."}_

Regulus couldn't dispute him there. His pursuit of a a woman that obviously didn't care for him had been foolish indeed.

Feeling himself become even more exhausted than he had been before, the son of Severus Snape lied down amid the cold stone staring up at what passed for a ceiling, which had only been more stone as he seemed to give himself over to the embittered cold that swept through his darkened prison cell.

The world outside had been something of a distant memory as he found that he could not even recall the color of a tree or even water with no recollection of how long he'd been in this place of misery and twisted anguish. Even worse, it was as if the bitter cold had seeped into more than just his prison cell as he found himself slowly becoming numb to anything around him even his own emotions were beginning to become dulled in the wake of his stay in Azkaban.

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 _Icy Mountain Top, Unknown Location, Unknown World..._

The now unmasked wizard known as Arcturus stood alone amid the frozen wastes that he'd spent the vast majority living and training in during his unwanted formative years as Igor Karkaroff's apparent prisoner along the icy mountain, the enraged dark wizard had no use for a mask to shield his face and keep his true identity a secret as his plans continued to remain in motion.

"Everything is going according to plan father, I will fulfill my vow to ensure you are avenged." he said as his dark eyes looked over the icy grave where he had buried his father all those years ago. "Harry Potter will suffer for every insult to your legacy...the entire wizarding world will know what it is to suffer for all the pain they've caused you while riding off the victory over the despot as if their efforts could compare to what you've endured at their hands just to save the ungrateful lot of them."

There had been no reply, only the sound of the icy winds howling in the wake of spoken silence as a single tear fell from the sallow pale cheek of Lucius Arcturus Prince, The second born son of Severus Snape and Elaine Prince.


	63. Chapter 62:The Living Ghost

_**Chapter 62: The Living Ghost**_

 _ **{A/N: Here's Another update...}**_

 _ **My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.**_

 _ **{"With your imagination and emotions running wild...Fueling my frustrations like a fire burning, clock keeps turning...And I, I know it's getting underneath your skin...I've tried to tell you now...Don't look over your shoulder...'Cause that's just the ghost of me...You're seeing in your dreams...Wait, there's no rhyme or reason...Sometimes there's no meaning...In the visions when you're sleepin'...Don't wake up and believe them...You're looking at the ghost of me...Whoa...Yeah, you're looking at the ghost of me...Yeah, you're looking at the ghost of me..."} Ghost Of Me, Daughtry**_

 _The Corridor, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World..._

 **T** he shattering of glass had awoken the formerly slumbering Scorpius Malfoy, son of Draco Lucius Malfoy, as he found himself registering the empty bed on the far corner of the dormitory It had belonged to none other than Albus Severus Potter, the youngest son of war hero Harry James Potter and newest addition to Slytherin house along with himself from that year. Albus Severus, whom had preferred to be addressed as either "Severus" or "Sev "to those closest to him (which had only been Scorpius for lack of better examples of friendship), had been acting rather strange for the past few months. This night had been one of the few times he had been relatively calm after going to bed and awakening with his magic actively radiating off his person and attempting to leave Hogwarts Grounds.

The various members of staff had been at a loss as to finding out what has causing the boy's apparent sleep walking condition even going so far as to inform his war hero father.

This night, Sev's attempt to flee Hogwarts turned rather frightening as Scorpius noted a trail of blood leading from the dungeons to the corridor above them, a few of the windows that had glass installed following the remodeling of the castle following the second wizarding war had been cracked, the glass had shattered causing the young Malfoy to awaken in the first place.

With confusion filed across his own adorable pale face, the young gray eyed wizard made his way toward the shadowy figure of Albus Severus Potter.

"S-Sev?" asked Scorpius with an arched brow as he inspected his friend.

Albus Severus seemed to ignore him as he stood before the broken window his right hand dripping with blood from the apparent means of force he used to break the glass and ensure his freedom.

Just as he attempted to climb out Scorpius tackled him fearing quite heavily for his safety. The immediate sound of crashing awoke the rest of the sleeping boys and one had gone to alert the Slytherin Head of House, Horace Slughorn. The aged wizard came barreling into the corridor noting the two young Slytherins in something of a scuffle as Albus Severus attempted to fight off the concerned Scorpius whom had been genuinely frightened by the strange happenings surrounding his best friend.

Slughorn's means of defusing the situation had been to take both the boys to the Headmistress' office in a bid to get to the bottom of what was happening with young Albus Severus.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

 _The Headmistress' Office, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World..._

The moment the three of them got near the Headmaster's office Albus Severus backed away from the door not at all wishing to proceed inside. Scorpius found it most confusing that Albus Severus had been acting so strangely. Headmistress McGonagall opened the door to find her three guests that had taken the time to awaken her in the early hours of the morning as all four of them still wore their respective bed clothes.

"What is the meaning of this nonsense at this early hour of the morning?" she asked narrowing her green eyes at Professor Slughorn and the two Slytherin boys.

"I awoke to news of a row between the two of them going on in the corridor." replied Slughorn, giving the bare minimum of the tale as per usual.

"That's not what happened." protested Scorpius Malfoy annoyed by Slughorn virtually throwing the two of them under the proverbial bus when they came face to face with McGonagall.

"Do tell Mr. Malfoy." said Headmistress McGonagall not at all hiding her suspicion regarding the boy due to his name and Hogwarts House.

"I heard glass shatter and noticed something had been wrong with Sev...I think he's been sleep walking again because he tried to jump out the window in the corridor."

Headmistress McGonagall turned her keen green eyes upon the youngest son of Harry James Potter. She had not expected much trouble from the usually quiet and reserved boy but had not been all together surprised until she was informed that he'd been sleep walking or something of the like for the past few months.

"Albus?" said McGonagall seeming to study the young dark haired wizard.

Albus Severus ignored her attempting to step out of the office as it seemed to make him greatly uncomfortable to be in there more so than any other student whom had been in her presence.

"Let me go." growled Albus Severus with his equally green eyes narrowed at her.

"What is the meaning of these accusations..." began McGonagall.

"I SAID LET ME GO MINERVA!" shouted Albus Severus not in the least impressed by her use of authority.

The Headmistress had been taken aback by the boy's use of her first name as if they had been familiar.

"Mr. Potter!?" she began only to be cut off once more by the green eyed young wizard.

"You call me Potter again and the next duel between us will result in your untimely demise." growled Albus Severus not in the least impressed by her tone.

"SEVERUS!?" said the voice of Albus Dumbledore from the portrait along the far wall.

Albus Severus became even more agitated as a result of it.

"DO NOT FUCKING SPEAK TO ME OLD MAN!?" he growled in fury. "IT'S YOUR FAULT THAT LITTLE BASTARD HAD MY SON ARRESTED...YOU LET THE LITTLE SHIT BELIEVE HE WAS ABOVE REPROACH AS A BOY AND NOW LOOK WHAT HE'S GONE AND DONE!"

Headmistress McGonagall, Scorpius Malfoy and Slughorn had stood in relative silence as Albus Severus whirled on the portrait of his namesake Headmaster Albus Dumbledore with a fury none had even known him to be capable of.

"Severus this isn't going to help him." said Dumbledore in his usual calm and father-like tone of voice that only seemed to further cause the young Slytherin to become irate.

"FUCK YOU!" growled Albus Severus enraged.

At that moment, Harry James Potter came rushing in through the floo once he had been notified of his youngest son's sleepwalking again. The moment he appeared amid the emerald green flames, Albus Severus Potter attacked him without regard for any whom had been in attendance.

The ensuing row had been quite the shock for both the boy who lived and the Headmistress.

Harry had no understanding of what was happening but did his best to reach his son and attempted to get him to see reason.

"SEVERUS!" shouted Dumbledore worried of what the ensuing outcome would be.

"STUPEFY!" shouted Headmistress McGonagall launching the spell from her wand with Harry occupying the boy's attention.

The spell struck him head on and caused him to black out as Harry struggled to catch his breath unsure of what to make of his own son trying to kill him.

"Albus...what...what's happening to you?" asked a sorrowful Harry Potter as he clung to his unconscious little boy.

Albus Severus Potter had not replied still very much under the effects of the spell the Headmistress had unleashed upon him. Scorpius Malfoy looked on in stunned silence as his best friend seemed quite lifeless before his very eyes.

"Return Severus to his bed." instructed Dumbledore. "Perhaps some rest should sort him out."

Minerva seemed to be in agreement.

"Perhaps we all could use more rest." she said.

No one present aside from the seemingly all knowing portraits could say for sure that what they had witnessed had been the awakening of Severus Snape's very soul within the youngest Potter boy in response to the crisis pertaining to his child.


	64. Chapter 63:The Makings Of A Breakdown

**_Chapter 63: The Makings Of A Breakdown_**

 ** _{A/N: Here's Another update._ _...}_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 ** _{"I know the breakdown...Everything is gonna shake now someday...I know the breakdown...Tell me again am I awake now...Maybe you can find the reason that...No one else is living this way...Yeah your lies your world is built around...Two faces to a clown...The voices in your head think...There's four pawns down...Well in this unity...Fate has found the need...You better check yourself...Before you check out...If you find yourself...Then you might believe...Then within yourself...You just might conceive...You can find the reason that...(You can find the reason that)...No one else is living this way...(You can find the reason that way)"} Breakdown, Tantric_**

 _Cold Cell, Azkaban Prison, Outskirts Of The Wizarding and Muggle Worlds..._

 **C** old gray stone pressed against the aching pale cheek of the newly awakened Regulus Snape as he found himself regaining consciousness and once more in the confines of his solitary cell in the wizarding prison known as Azkaban. His bones ached and his muscles had been tense from his earlier round of beatings. The blood loss had been no better but he had been alive, which was more than enough of a reason to open his obsidian eyes despite the dim lighting within his cell.

Of all the things to have to endure in the wake of his imprisonment, Regulus had never been a fan of involuntary solitude. The silence seemed to be more biting than all the whips and chains that were used to break apart his flesh and cause him pain. The injured younger Snape crawled toward the cold wall gingerly pressing his heavy back against it wincing at the agony of his spasm prone muscles as he did.

"Fucking Potter." growled Regulus in contempt for the green eyed wizard.

It had been that idiot's fault he had been imprisoned in this place and that Hermione had believed him a murderer.

 _{"Do Not Despair."}_ said a voice breaking through the silence that had fallen over the battered wizard.

Regulus looked around confused as to where the voice had come from or if he had been struck in the head one too many times.

 _{"No you are not going mad, I am directly speaking with you."}_ said the voice as if it had known exactly what he had been going to say.

"W-Who are you?" asked Regulus still very much confused by the recent turn of events.

 _{"I suppose proper introductions are in order."}_ said the voice in something of a proper tone. _{"But given the newness of our means of communication let us just say that I am an interested party that wishes to see you survive this hellish pit and emerge as formidable as your late father ever was."}_

"How do you know my father?" asked Regulus getting defensive.

 _{"Let us just say...that he and I were as close as family."}_ said the strange voice.

Regulus sighed not knowing what to believe when it came to the stranger's voice in his head but he had been rather relieved to have any form of communication and a possible link to the outside world.

"If you know so much about my father, then why haven't you seen your way to getting me out of here?" asked the ailing wizard bitterly. "I've been in here without news from the outside and for who knows how long..."

 _{"As much as I wish to see you freed, I cannot interfere with the injustice placed upon you...it is most imperative that you are set free from this place by those whom have chosen to place you here of their own accord."}_ explained the voice. {" _Surely the son of Severus Snape should be able to withstand the harshness of Azkaban...is that not why he taught you in the wilderness in case the worst should come to pass?"}_

"How do you know about my father's training?" asked Regulus once more suspicious of the strange voice.

 _{"It is as I've told you...your father was as family."}_ replied the voice. _{"But suffice if to say, I know what you know...and a bit more...as for your constant question as to how long you've been in this place...two years have passed."}_

"TWO YEARS!?" asked Regulus in disbelief. "T-That can't be possible...I was...it hasn't been that long since...since they threw me in this place...this hell hole."

 _{"It is as I've said...Two Years have passed since you were arrested without a proper trial and thrown into Azkaban."}_ continued the voice.

Regulus had been speechless as he attempted to make sense of what the stranger was telling him. There was a chance that whomever this voice belonged to was simply toying with him in a bid to get amusement out of his misery.

He couldn't possibly have spent two years of his life behind the cold gray walls of his prison cell and not one ounce of justice had been delivered.

"You're lying." said Regulus deciding the words of the strange voice had been too far fetched to believe.

 _{"I've nothing to gain for deceiving you...Regulus Snape...you are within the confines of a prison and there for have nothing I wish to gain from you."}_ said the voice assuring the now distressed wizard of his honesty.

Distressed, Regulus' face held a haunted expression as he began to note the present condition he found himself in. His hands had been trembling and ghastly pale slick with sweat and blood in combination. His fingernails had been broken and quite filthy given his current lodging conditions.

The torn and tattered rags that passed for his prison getup had been filthy as well and quite aged since his initial arrival.

"This can't fucking be happening..." he said in disbelief. "I...I've been here for two years...two fucking years and I didn't do a fucking thing to deserve to be thrown in here."

The voice had been silent for a time.

"What else have I missed...what happened to the attacks did...did anyone else die in the wake of what happened at the Ministry Of Magic Offices?" asked Regulus needing more information.

 _{"There have been no further attacks since your imprisonment...and the wizarding public has returned to their lives unaware of your plight."}_ the voice informed the imprisoned wizard.

"D-Does Arcturus yet live?" asked Regulus with an arched brow despite the darkness.

 _{"He does."}_ replied the voice. _{"As you do, son of Severus Snape."}_

"W-Why hasn't Potter gone after him?" asked Regulus more to himself than the voice.

 _{"There was no need"}_ replied the voice. _{"The time will come for you to choose which side you are on...Son Of The Serpent."}_

Regulus had been about to question the rather familiar use of words by the voice only to find silence on the other end. Still reeling from what he had been told about the _SBD_ and Arcturus going quiet and Harry Potter riding high off his arrest as if he had vanquished another great evil when he had in fact set him up to keep him from Hermione Granger only made the younger Snape's blood boil.

The burning rage had done wonders for suppressing the coldness as Regulus Snape's mind became more focused on the need for vengeance as opposed to anything else. He had been deprived of his freedom for two long years and Hermione had believed him to have been a monster and it was all because of Harry James Potter.


	65. Chapter 64:The Prince Of Pain

**_Chapter 64: The Prince Of Pain_**

 ** _{A/N: Here's Another update._ _...}_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 ** _{"Pearls and swine, bereft of me...Long and weary, my road has been...I was lost in the cities alone in the hills...No sorrow or pity for leaving I feel, yeah...I am not your rolling wheels...I am the highway...I am not your carpet ride...I am the sky...Friends and liars, don't wait for me...'Cause I'll get on all by myself...I put millions of miles under my heels...And still too close to you I feel, yeah...I am not your rolling wheels...I am the highway...I am not your carpet ride...I am the sky..."} I Am The Highway, Audioslave_**

 _The Grounds, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World..._

 **T** hirteen year old Slytherin student Albus Severus Potter stood alone near the black lake alone and seemingly deep in solitary thought he had not been alone for long as an equally thirteen year old Scorpius Malfoy made his way over toward him curious as to what the rather strange boy had been up to given his history of strange fits and violent mood swings. Most of the children avoided him whispering about his strange condition and treating him as if he had the plague, not even many of the Slytherin students wished to have anything to do with the quiet boy bearing the last name Potter.

Scorpius had not been as idiotic and posh as the others venturing toward the distant Albus Severus as he continued to stare into the murky depths of the black lake. He had not truly known what to make of his often solitary friend as he continued his approach.

"Albus?" asked Scorpius testing the waters so to speak.

"I am afraid Mr. Malfoy that you are mistaken." replied Albus Severus as he continued to stare into the murky depths of the black lake.

Scorpius had not known what to make of the youngest Potter's apparent "fits" as they were called by the staff. He had seen them far too often to suggest something so crass and wondered in true Malfoy fashion what the reasoning behind such a strange condition had been.

"A-Are you him then?" asked Scorpius knowing full well whom Severus Snape had been, the tales of the formidable wizard and his sacrifice to save the lives of both Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter had been the favorite of his since he'd been quite small and his grandfather Lucius had been so inclined to tell them.

"If you are referring to your father's godfather...I suppose I am." replied Albus Severus still not taking his eyes off the black lake.

"Everyone says...says that Albus Severus is having strange fits...and that he should be taken to a hospital." said Scorpius.

Albus Severus sighed.

"I feel sorry for any of you having to endure the idiocy of the current teaching staff." he said in a bored tone. "This as you so eloquently described it, is not the means of a for lack of a better term "fit, but the internal crying out of a tortured soul lingering in the memories of anguish."

Scorpius arched a brow at this.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"My son is in peril and given the gravity of the situation, I am prone to anguished consciousness until the matter of my child's pain is resolved." replied Albus Severus still looking at the dark water. "Suffice if to say, I will be leaving this place...and my son is to be freed."

"W-What if you get into trouble?" asked Scorpius. "I doubt you can find your way after all this time and the numerous changes in the wizarding world."

Albus Severus shook his head.

"You are so much like Lucius it is almost uncanny." he replied. "Alas, your words do have some truth to them...my time in control is quite limited and this...boy...is lacking when it comes to my former abilities."

"So it's settled then...I shall assist you in your escape from Hogwarts." said Scorpius.

Albus Severus sighed once more not having much choice in whither or not he wished to accept the younger Malfoy's assistance.

"I shall accept your assistance as far as Hogsmeade boy, but no further...what I must do is much to dangerous for even the grandson of Lucius Malfoy." replied the green eyed young Slytherin.

Scorpius seemed to accept this despite Albus Severus knowing all too well that he had only agreed for the time being.

The boys had not been chatting alone near the lake for long as James Sirius Potter had spotted them taking it upon himself to torment his younger brother despite avid warnings from the staff as well as his father to leave the younger Potter be.

"Come along gents...there's snakes by our lake." said the grinning fifth year Gryffindor wizard.

He had been fifteen years of age and still hell bent on tormenting his younger thirteen year old brother.

Scorpius had been staring at the black lake in a bid to gauge what had gotten his friend's rapt attention. Albus Severus had seemed quite content to do the same even as James Potter II came strolling up to the two of them a smug expression filed across his face and his wand drawn along with the wands of his three best mates since first year.

"Well well..." said James narrowing his brown eyes at his younger brother. "Look what we have here boys...Snivellus II and the little scorpion...two little snakes so far from their hovel...don't they make a poisonous duo?"

"I will warn you only once Potter, leave me to my thoughts and you shall not be harmed." said Albus Severus not in the least interested in the idiocy of a second generation James Potter.

"Potter." said James with a smirk. "Can you hear the contempt in his tone boys...it's like he knows he isn't worthy of our father's name...isn't that right Snivellus?"

Scorpius had narrowed his eyes at James Potter contemplating about drawing his wand only for Albus Severus to quietly discourage it. He had known full well that the son of a Malfoy would get unjustly punished should he raise his wand to the son of the apparently sainted Potter's Eldest son.

"Did you hear me Snivel...?" began James Potter II only to find himself flung via a burst of wand-less magic and tossed into the black lake along with his equally brutish Gryffindor mates.

Scorpius Malfoy watched the four Gryffindors struggle against the tightening grasp of the giant squid as if flung them every which way along the grounds and Albus Severus merely stood with his eyes looking into the depths of the murky black waters.

The youngest Malfoy had not known what to make of Albus Severus or rather Severus Snape but he had been glad that he wasn't on his bad side.


	66. Chapter 65:The Shattering Of Silence

**_Chapter 65: The Shattering Of Silence_**

 ** _{A/N: Here's Another update._ _...}_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 ** _{"I was born into a curse...An outlaw straight from birth...My mama danced around a fire...And pulled me from the dirt...I live out in the woods...I'm not misunderstood...Maybe you're thinking that I won't...I'm thinking that I would...That's why I'm dressed in black...Ain't ever coming back...'Cause I'm the black sheep of the family...No, don't look the other way...I'll spit right in your face...'Cause I'm the black sheep of the family...One, one sick son of a gun...I'm crushing you for fun...Don't find yourself on the wrong end...Of anything I've done..."} Black Sheep, Saliva_**

 _Diagon Alley, Wizarding World..._

 **S** eemingly uncontrollable flames burst through Diagon Alley, as many a witch and wizard found themselves cowering in fear as an enormous serpent of flame made it's way into the center of the infamous wizarding alley. At the helm had been the infamous black robbed, dark masked wizards responsible for the attacks on the wizarding world before the remaining dust had finally settled after the fall of despot Voldemort. The masked wizard known as Arcturus had made himself known his mission ever more clear to those in power. Shocked whispers and hushed murmurers filled the streets as Arcturus took it upon himself to project not only his voice, but his haunting image all across the wizarding world.

"Good evening, witches and wizard's alike." he said in an unsurprisingly cold tone. "As you can clearly see for yourselves, Harry Potter's initial assumption of having put an end to our awakening activities has been fully rectified."

On-lookers continued to tremble as the masked wizard continued his speech.

"Harry Potter has himself been responsible of the orchestration of a very gross miscarriage of justice on the part of an innocent wizard whom had been confined for two years in Azkaban." continued Arcturus, his voice teeming with rage. "As you can all see before you...I am Arcturus leader of the Serpent Brother's of Destruction and the bringer of your soon to be end, a fitting punishment due to the sickening lot of you having benefited from the blood of my family line being spilled to protect your worthless hides without so much as a thank you to the generations whom have suffered in silence in the wake of all you have gained."

The crowd continued to watch the ruthless masked dark wizard fearful of his next move since his murdering of both wizarding hero Ronald Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt, the former Minister of Magic.

"HARRY POTTER!" shouted Arcturus enraged before the crowd. "I demand you release your unjustly incarcerated prisoner, because after tonight you shall no longer have any doubts at to just whom you are dealing with."

A rumbling of thunder echoed in the distance as a winded Harry James Potter stood amid the crowd gripping his wand tightly as he approached the masked wizard known as Arcturus.

"That's enough!" he shouted as if his words meant anything to the dark wizard before him. "I think it's high time you take off that mask...Regulus Snape you aren't fooling anyone."

Arcturus seemed amused by Potter's words as he waved away his minions in a bid to step closer to the arrogant boy who lived. He held no fear in his heart of what the arrogant child could do to him nor did he feel anything other than contempt for the man before him.

"You must be hard of hearing Potter." said Arcturus as he cast away his mask with gloved hands to the shock of those around him. "My name is Arcturus, the one you call Regulus, as you will no doubt find is still unjustly locked away in Azkaban cursing your name as we speak."

Harry turned his wand back on the now visible Arcturus. His eyes were an unseemly dark brown in place of the obsidian eyes that Regulus had inherited from his father, the former Potions Master Severus Snape but he looked nearly identical to Regulus aside from his smaller frame and obviously different eye color.

He had also been the keeper of a rather nasty scar across the left side of his face utterly distinguishing him from Regulus Snape in every way possible. Harry Potter's eyes widened as he recalled just how the fiend known as Arcturus had gotten that scar, it was Ron's final parting gift before he met his end during their battle in his office.

Regulus had no such scar a clear sign that he had been innocent of the wrong-doings he'd been accused of.

"Are you feeling ti now Potter?" taunted Arcturus in a sinister tone. "That sensation of fear and panic deep inside of you...what will your adoring public think of the wizard that convicted another simply because of his last name."

"I-I will put you in Azkaban in his place." growled Harry Potter furious at having arrested the wrong wizard.

"You aren't even in my league boy...I came to send you a message in person and to show the world just what kind of opportunistic little shit you truly are." replied Arcturus still taunting him. "Now the whole world will see what my father already knew about you."

"F-Father?" asked Harry in confusion. "How...?"

"IGNIS!" shouted one of the dark wizards from the center of the alley.

Before Harry could react he'd been cast on to the ground and everyone of them had disappeared leaving him alone to deal with the questioning crowd.

"What's this about imprisoning the wrong bloke?" whispered one.

"Harry's gotten it wrong?" said another.

Those monsters can appear and disappear whenever they so choose." said a frightful woman among the crowd.

"If Harry Potter can't protect us then whom will we turn to!?" asked a distressed wizard.

"Calm down everyone." instructed Harry. "Return to your homes...the ministry of magic will sort this all out in due time."

"The Ministry of magic arrested the wrong bloke to begin with!" shouted an unsatisfied man.

"And we shall rectify that immediately." promised Harry. "Regulus Snape shall be acquitted of all charges against him following the reviewing of evidence and a deliberation with a judge."

"THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!" shouted another man speaking up from the crowd. "YOU PUT THE WRONG BLOKE IN PRISON...NONE OF US ARE SAFE WHAT IF HE DECIDES TO KILL AGAIN AND YOU JUST LET HIM WALK TO BLAME SNAPE'S BOY!"

"I will rectify this situation...I assure you." continued Harry in a firm tone. "Now everyone back to your homes."

Arcturus had been intent on sending a message and it was heard loud and clear by the wizarding public, the time for the Serpent Brother's silence had ended and there would be more casualties if his demands were not met.

Harry sighed as he attempted to make sense of what had just happened.

Hermione had not been present but she was sure to have seen what transpired and to make matters worse, the only means of assistance against a foe like Arcturus had been Regulus Snape and there was no telling what condition he'd been in after a two year stay in Azkaban nor if he'd be willing to assist them again.

Disappearing amid the rumble of thunder, Harry Potter made his way to Azkaban Prison unsure of what he'd find in his quest to rectify his gross error of judgement.


	67. Chapter 66:The River Of Eternity

**_Chapter 67: The River Of Eternity_**

 ** _{A/N: Here's Another Update._ _...}_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 ** _{"_ _He said life's a lot to think about sometimes...When you keep it all between the lines...Of everything I want and I want to find, one of these days... What you thought was real in life somehow steered you wrong...Now you just keep drivin' tryin' to find out where you belong...I know you feel helpless now and I know you feel alone...That's the same road, that same road that I am on...What you thought was real in life somehow steered you wrong...Now you just keep drivin' tryin' to find out where you belong...I know you feel helpless now and I know you feel alone...That's the same road, that same road that I am on..._ _"}The Road I'm On, 3 Doors Down_**

 ** _The Battlements, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...(1997)..._**

 ** _Swollen clouds of the deepest gray swirled in the ever looming sky above Hogwarts Castle as Potions Professor Severus S. Snape stood alone amid the scent of rain and high winds reflecting on the up coming chaos as his heart and mind warred with one another in the wake of him being given a simultaneous assignment from The Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. It had been in direct violation of the despot known as The Dark Lord Voldemort's orders to Draco Malfoy but the silent wizard had taken two unbreakable vows to ensure the safety of his young godson and the clueless Harry Potter._**

 ** _The images of a small boy with raven hair much like his own and similar obsidian colored eyes had been burned into the halls of his vast memory as he stood before the chaotic sea as the very last of his unspoken hopes and unobtainable dreams seemed to sink into the bottom of it's murky depths. It was all too clear to him now that there had never been any choice for him in the direction his life would go in, his brief moments of happiness were just that...brief moments born from accidental interest as opposed to something intended for the likes of him._**

 ** _Without another thought as to what his life might have been like had he not been used an unwilling pawn between two wizarding forces, Severus Snape buried any further aspect of hope for himself as well as the long carried dream of being permanently reunited with the family he had left behind so far away from the chaos and carnage of wizarding England._ _If he had ever ventured back, there would be nothing left of him for them to love and he refused to be the reason for the loss of yet another son._**

 ** _Elaine and Regulus were his past and his duty had been all that mattered if they were ever going to live in a world free of attention seeking monsters hell bent on using those they considered their lesser as pieces in wizarding chess._ _Severus Snape made a silent vow to ensure his son never had to walk the same path as he, or he would die trying even if it meant becoming a monster in the eyes of the world to do it._**

 ** _Severus Snape allowed his emotions to become submerged in the watery depths of his mind which he constructed to have been as deep as the ocean in which he had been staring, a slow coldness began to fill him as he turned his attention to readying himself for the task at hand._**

 _RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR_

 _Dark Dank Cell, Azkaban Prison, Outskirts Of The Wizarding and Muggle Worlds..._

Regulus Snape willed himself to stand after yet another vicious beating on the behalf of the guards that had taken it upon themselves to let him know just how "welcome" a Snape had been here in Azkaban. Two years of their hospitality and he had been well accustomed to the bruises and broken skin due to their preference for the magical whip. The rather thin pale wizard smirked thinking back to how angry he had been after finding out that he'd been left to rot in the uncharted pit from hell for the past two years for a crime he had not committed. Harry Potter's word, despite his history of never knowing of what he was talking about had been enough to incriminate him.

 _Harry Potter._

The beaten young wizard rolled his eyes not in the least having the energy to vent his outrage on the subject of geek boy or the fact that he had always gotten his way. If he had not believed him to have been an overrated, egomaniac before he had been of the mind to agree with whomever Arcturus had been when he brought it to his attention years ago.

Regulus had felt his knees buckle despite his best efforts to stay on his feet and it was quite difficult to breathe due to his broken ribs but he stubbornly clung to the wall for several moments before collapsing onto the cold stone floor.

He had been out of it when he heard the door to his cell being opened and two of the guards rush in. They had not been the usual guards that had taken him for his daily beatings as if that would endear them to anyone whom had held Albus Dumbledore or Harry Potter in high regard.

"He's semi-conscious." said one of them looking to be a bit concerned.

"It's a wonder he survived this long...he's got a bloody fever." said the other feeling Regulus' forehead.

"Hey Snape...stay with us...you're being released today it'd be a shame if you died before it could happen." said the first guard.

Regulus glared at him despite his delirious mindset.

As the two guards carried him from the cell and into what appeared to have been an infirmary, the younger Snape found himself noting the presence of his long deceased father. Without saying a word, he reached for him, resulting his heart rate skyrocketing in the process.

"SNAPE!" shouted one of the guards trying to get through to him. "WE HAVE TO HURRY WE'RE LOSING HIM!"

The silent wizard clad in ebony said nothing as he watched his son slip from the land of the living despite the rushing of the guards to save his life.

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

 _Unknown Location, Unknown World..._

 _Regulus Snape opened his eyes to find that he had been back in North America staring into the fast moving river that had been located about five miles from his childhood home. He caught a glimpse of the ebony clad wizard making his way across the stream. Filled with fear and longing to catch up to his father, Regulus took off running toward him._

 _"PAPA!" he shouted noticing for the first time that he had the voice of a small child._

 _Severus Snape seemed to not have heard him as he continued to cross the rushing river ahead of him. The water seemed to have had no effect on him as he reached the other side without looking back. Regulus grew all the more desperate to reach him but the water had been moving too fast and it had been much too cold to swim across given his age._

 _"PAPA WAIT!" he shouted as his words had once more fallen on deaf ears._

 _Severus Snape continued to make his way amid the rolling hills on the other side as if nothing could impede his journey._

 _Regulus looked down at his hands shocked that his childish appearance. Looking back across the fast moving river at his distant father, the boy Regulus made up his mind to be just like him casting away any means of foolish emotion that held him back._

 _Running straight ahead, Regulus Snape rushed through the icy water, pushing himself to reach the same water-less banks as his father before him not looking back as he pressed forward. Ignoring the coldness of the water and the fast current, he reached the opposite hill as the water from the rushing river dripped off his body which he found to be clad in ebony attire not so unlike his father's._

 _There had been no sign of Severus Snape, despite the younger Snape's efforts to reach him. Turning back to the stream, Regulus caught sight of his own reflection. He had no longer been a child struggling to keep up with the quick advancing footsteps of his father before him but a grown man whom had now become the living embodiment of him._

 _It didn't take long for him to realize as he looked back across the stream to see the ghostly reflection of the small boy struggling to keep up with him that it had not been his father that he saw crossing the fast moving river but himself._

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 _Infirmary, Unknown Location..._

The obsidian eyes of Regulus Snape burst open and he found himself in a strange room surrounded by several healers and hooked up to a beeping and buzzing machines. He had been confused as to how he had ended up in a place like this but quickly recalled the guards speaking about him being released from Azkaban. Unsure of whom to trust following his less than savory experience with trusting the likes of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger before hand, he ripped the tubes from his chest and attempted to rush out of the nearest window.

The healers all attempted to calm him only to find themselves thrown about via wand-less magic as the startled younger Snape rushed out of the room dodging well meaning healers and patients alike in his attempt to escape.

He had gotten half way down a large corridor toward the reception desk when he was stopped by none other than Lucius Abraxas Malfoy whom had been given word of Regulus' release and transfer to St. Mungo's Hospital.

"REGULUS!" said the worried blond wizard.

Upon hearing his uncle's voice for the first time in two years, Regulus seemed to have calmed down. Lucius made his way over toward the younger Snape relieved that his source had been correct in their given information as he embraced the trembling and utterly confused boy as he would have his father.

Regulus looked up at Lucius, his usually handsome face riddled with exhaustion following his continuous campaign to get him freed and brought home. Draco Malfoy had been there as well rushing over to the weakened Regulus and aiding his father in holding up the ailing young wizard.

"Father let's get him home." said Draco pleased to have found Regulus Snape still very much alive despite the guards' best efforts to ensure otherwise.

Lucius agreed narrowing his gray eyes at the staff before he and his son left the building with Regulus Snape in tow, it seemed the family had at last been reunited.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

 _Adjacent Rooftop, Muggle World..._

The brown eyes of the wizard known as Lucius Arcturus Prince stood watching as his elder twin brother was carted off to safety by the Malfoys. It would only be a matter of time before the next stage of his apparent master plan to expose Harry Potter for the fraud he was would come into play.

"I'll be seeing you soon." he said amid the darkness. "Brother."


	68. Chapter 67: Rage In Cultivation

**_Chapter 67: Rage In Cultivation_**

 ** _{A/N: Here's Another Update._ _...}_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 ** _{"A decade ago...I never thought I would be...At twenty-three...On the verge of spontaneous combustion...Woe-is-me...But I guess that it comes with the territory...An ominous landscape of never ending calamity...I need you to hear...I need you to see that I have had all that I can take...And exploding seems like a definite possibility to me...So pardon me while I burst into flames...Pardon me while I burst into flames...I've had enough of the world and it's people's mindless games...So pardon me while I burn and rise above the flame...Pardon me, pardon me, I'll never be the same..._. _"} Pardon Me, Incubus_**

 _Snape's Bedroom, Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire England, Muggle/Wizarding World..._

 **R** egulus Snape had not quite yet been used to the accommodations Malfoy Manor provided after two years of sleeping on a cold stone floor, he avoided the four poster bed his father spent much of his youth occupying whenever he ventured to the home of Lucius Malfoy. The handsome blond wizard had attempted to make his godson as comfortable as possible despite knowing all too well that it would take time for him to leave behind the harsh mental conditioning Azkaban had set for him.

The younger Snape had been even more with drawn than he had been before he was sentenced unjustly to serve time in Azkaban. Much like his father he spoke less and ate little becoming vocal only when being plagued via night terrors whenever he attempted to sleep which resulted in a bit of unchecked insomnia. Narcissa worried about him as constantly as she had Draco and Severus during the second wizarding war. She knew from the look in the younger Snape's eyes that something had changed within him while he had been locked away, something she couldn't quite describe.

Regulus exited his father's bedroom storming through the manor clad in only his trousers as he made his way out the front door. Narcissa had attempted to stop him only to be discouraged in her attempt by Lucius himself.

"Let him go." he said knowing all too well what the boy had been going through due to his experiences with not only Severus Snape, but his own incarceration within Azkaban Prison.

Narcissa sighed watching the seemingly lost son of her former lover spiral further out of control.

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 _Open Sky, Unknown World..._

Regulus had been quite angry since his incarceration and truth be told more hurt than he had ever intended to let on even to himself. He had truly cared for Hermione Granger and while his relationship with her had not progressed in the means he had hoped it would prior to Harry Potter having him thrown in prison, it was enough to have given him hope in something better than the lonely existence he had been living before hand.

 _Now._

Now he had not been so sure what he wished to do with himself given his former lover's belief that he had truly murdered her husband to get closer to her. A part of him had wished he had given the grief he had gotten for not committing the crime he'd been accused of.

Soaring high in the sky at an alarming rate, Regulus found himself accompanied by an old friend as great wings began to beat in reaction to their reunion.

"ICARUS!" shouted the younger Snape pleased to have his only constant companion returned to him.

He had last seen the enormous Leviathan Thunderbird prior to his lengthy imprisonment when he ordered the sorrowful bird to steer clear of Azkaban lest he be killed or worse captured due to his association with him.

Reunited once more the two of them continued their flight as Regulus reached height beyond his own abilities as the rumbling of thunder and the flashing of lightening shielded them from the preying eyes of the rest of the two worlds below.

The constant flashing of images from that strange event in prison when his heart has stopped and the rushing river that stood before him.

 _"Control your emotions."_ his father had said drilling the fact into his mind over and over again. _"Discipline your mind."_

As Regulus continued with his flight, he began to see the wisdom in his father's words and their necessity. The old man had known all too well what enemies could do to one's hopes and dreams if given the chance and he had barely a glimpse of what his life could have been like had he been allowed to have what he truly desired before Harry Potter found a way to snatch it all away from him.

The great wings of the Leviathan Thunderbird continued to flap causing another storm to surge as Regulus at last came to terms with the similar storm that had been raging inside him. He had been unjustly imprisoned and tortured for the past two years and the world had gone on as if it had been a mere ripple in a vast ocean.

Much like his father before him, he had been a mere echo in the minds of the wizarding world in comparison to the great Harry Potter. For a moment Regulus' mind traveled back to Hermione Granger, he had been nothing in her mind as well when compared to the smug bastard that had put an end to their relationship before it got started.

The moments they shared prior to his being accused of murdering her whore-mongering husband had been seemingly forgotten in her mind as he recalled the cold glare she had given him at his mock trial. The fact that she couldn't even bring herself to consider any other possibility for her husband's murder had been the most devastating. While it was true that she had not known him all that well in comparison to her childhood friends, she had known his father to some degree and while he wasn't in the least the same man in terms of corruption, he was taught a different means of living life that had not included harming others.

As the impressive bird continued it's flight, Regulus Snape had come to the conclusion that whatever it was that happened to him after his heart stopped in prison had seemingly taken effect as he began to put Hermione Granger out of his she was so intent on following the lead of the liar Harry Potter than she was just as much his enemy as Potter had been.


	69. Chapter 68:Regretful Distance

**_Chapter 68: Regretful Distance_**

 ** _{A/N: Here's Another Update._ _...}_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 ** _{"Memories don't live like people do...I'm sick for ever believing you...Wish you'd bring back the man I knew...Was good to me, oh Lord...Every time you say you're coming...Boy, you disappoint me, honey...How well you forgot when you were down...And I was around...I can't eat, I can't sleep anymore...Waiting for love to walk through the door...I wish I didn't miss you anymore..."} I Wish I Didn't Miss You Anymore, Angie Stone_**

 _The Sitting Room, The Granger-Weasley Residence, The Burrows, Wizarding World..._

 **T** he clanking of keys echoed throughout the formerly empty and eerily silent household as Hermione Jean Granger entered her home after a long three month absence. She had been out of the country on assignment for the Ministry Of Magic and had yet to check in with the children since her return to England. With an exhausted sigh, the amber eyed witch made her way further inside the sitting room of the house she had once shared with her former husband Ronald Weasley prior to his untimely murder apparently at the hands of her former lover whom happened to be the son of her former Potions Professor.

The exhausted witch had been quite content to bury herself in her work in a bid to ignore the nagging questions about the events that transpired two years prior when evidence had surfaced implicating Regulus Snape in Ron and former Minister Of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt's murders. A part of her wanted to believe that Regulus had not been at fault, that he had not been capable of such a heinous act no matter how many people believed he could be and the other part of her. Yet, their was also another part of her that could not get the evidence out of her mind nor the images of the man whom had been responsible for the attacks once the mask was removed from his face.

Shaking all thoughts of Regulus Snape from her mind, Hermione settled into her empty home worn out from her journey and emotionally drained to boot. She had been quite fortunate in the fact that the Weasleys had agreed to look after Rose and Hugo while she'd been away on assignment in Australia.

The exhausted witch had barely collapsed onto the sofa when an abrupt knocking had gotten her attention. Hermione sighed getting to her feet as she made her way toward the door only to find that Harry Potter had been standing on the other side of it.

"Harry...what's the meaning of barging over here at this time of night...I've already given my report at the office." began Hermione narrowing her amber eyes at her best friend since childhood.

"M-Mione...has he been here to see you yet?" asked the green eyed wizard as if studying her for any traces of deception.

"What are you talking about Harry?" asked Hermione in relative confusion. "Has whom been to see me and why would they need to?"

Harry sighed unsure how she was going to take what he had been about to tell her.

"So you haven't heard." he said realizing that he would now have the burden of letting her in on the truth she hadn't been privy to for close to three years.

"Harry what's with you?" asked Hermione still confused. "And what haven't I heard?"

Harry met her gaze for a few moments before collecting himself.

"Regulus Snape has been released from Azkaban." he said.

"WHAT!?" shouted Hermione narrowing her eyes at the former boy who lived. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S BEEN RELEASED!?"

"Mione...while you were away, new evidence has been presented that proves Regulus was not the one that murdered Ron and Kingsley that night." admitted Harry. "As it turns out...the crime was truly committed by another...by Arcturus himself."

"Harry we've been over this, Regulus is Arcturus." said Hermione in disbelief. "You've shown me the video evidence yourself and that pertaining to DNA might I add the magical signatures match...need I go on?"

Harry sighed once more.

"Mione...the reason everything seemed to point to Regulus is due to the similarity in looks as well as the genetic signature...even the magic had been similar...in the fact that...there's no easy way to explain this...but Snape didn't just have one son...what I've gathered since my earlier run in with Arcturus last...is that...Regulus has a twin brother." continued the green eyed wizard.

Hermione could hardly believe what she was being told.

"A...how is this possible there was no documentation on...how?" she asked looking at Harry before suddenly feeling ill and very weak in the knees.

"M-Mione?" said Harry rushing to assist her as she nearly collapsed when her legs gave way.

"I-I didn't believe him...I actually believed that he would be capable of..." she began as tears began to stream down her cheeks. "Harry Regulus has been in Azkaban for nearly three years for a crime he never committed."

"I know." replied Harry. "But we need more resources if we are going to stop this new threat to the wizarding world...I came here believing that...well Regulus was interested in assisting us with the Arcturus problem before...perhaps he could again."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at Harry as her rage enabled her to scramble back to her feet.

"Do you hear yourself?" she asked still enraged. "Regulus isn't going to help us...he's sooner sit back and watch the world fall part after what we did to him."

"Mione I was hoping that you could convince him that he'd have a future well worth fighting for...I mean...he fancies you...and..." began Harry Potter attempting to get his friend to see reason.

"GET OUT!" demanded Hermione as tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

"Mione..." attempted Harry.

"I SAID GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" she shouted this time more firm and making it clear that she'd hex him if she had to.

Harry sighed and took his leave of her getting the point that he had once more turned her world upside down with his follies.

Hermione slammed the front door behind him as she turned her attention to processing what she had just been informed of: Regulus Snape had not been the one to murder her husband and the former Minister Of Magic.

The very same Regulus Snape that had been unjustly imprisoned in Azkaban for close to three years, and was recently released. Slipping down onto the cold hard floor as her back rested against the front door, she could not get the look of utter shock from behind his obsidian eyes out of her mind.

She had rejected him in favor of Harry's mistaken information and now she would have to live with it along with the immense burden of guilt that seemed to be weighing heavily upon her.

 _Gryffindor Guilt, Regulus' father had once called it._

The now floored witch had known all too well how Snape viewed betrayal and the result of him blocking out any and all emotions because of it. Now she feared Regulus would do the same and if it were the case, there would be no talking to him nor changing his mind if he so desired to throw himself into darkness as easily as his father had.

"What have we done?" asked the shock filled witch before resolving herself to sitting with her back against the closed front door given to the lingering silence of her empty home.


	70. Chapter 69:The Price Of Betrayal

**_Chapter 69: The Price Of Betrayal_**

 ** _{A/N: Here's Another Update._ _...}_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 ** _{"Your face is burned inside my brain...I lost my way...Your taste of stale flows through my veins...The cost of hate...Cause you'll never understand me...You want me to stay...You're see-see-see-calling but I can't hear you...I'm not listening anymore...You're subject to falling but I can't save you...I don't see you anymore...The race of slowing down the pain, I found a way...The pace of speaking so mundane, the sound of gain...But you'll never make me happy...So I've extinguished the flame...You're see-see-see-calling, but I can't hear you...I'm not listening anymore...You're subject to falling, but I can't save you...I don't see you anymore"} Calling,Taproot_**

 _Cemetery, Cokeworth, England, Muggle World..._

 **S** wollen clouds of ominous gray took up every aspect of clear sky that had been the forecast for the past few weeks but it had not seemed to bother the solitary wizard cloaked in black as he stood alone in the local cemetery gazing down at the headstone before him. He had been as silent as the stars when looking down at the grave site, his dark eyes of obsidian fixated upon the words engraved in the cold gray stone not so unlike the stone of his former cell in Azkaban Prison. The name on the headstone had belonged to his dearly departed mother and it had been two years since he had visited given his imprisonment.

"Hello Mother." said the voice of a solemn Regulus Snape as he stood with a single white rose within the grasp of his pale hand.

The clouds seemed to have gotten their fill of being swollen and burst forth causing a heavy down pour as the eldest son of the late Severus Snape stood staring at his mother's headstone as if the weather had little effect on him despite the onset of rain soaking him from head to toe.

A good distance from him, a woman dressed in black with rather familiar eyes of amber watched as Regulus gripped the white rose tightly causing the still attached thorns to burrow deeply into the pale flesh of his palm causing it to bleed as he stood in silence over his mother's grave.

He had been annoyed that his private moment had been interrupted by the unwanted company of his former lover, no doubt seeking a favor from him given what the wizarding world now knew of the real leader of the Serpent Brother's Of Destruction.

"What are you doing here?" he asked making it clear that not only had he not been in the mood for company but that he had not forgotten her betrayal in the least.

Hermione Granger had been caught off guard by his apparent coldness but she had not been too surprised. She had joined Harry Potter in condemning him to life in Azkaban for a crime he had not committed.

"R-Regulus...I..." she began unsure how to approach the topic of her greatest folly concerning him.

"Save it." hissed the elder son of the former Potions Master. "I have no interest in hearing anything more you have to say...as you can see I have come to pay my respects and do not wish for company."

"Regulus please...just hear me out..." insisted Hermione trying her best to get him to see reason in terms of her actions concerning his imprisonment.

The raven haired wizard stood as if trying to compose himself for a moment before swiftly confronting her with his eyes blazing with fury.

"I am to hear you out now?" he asked in an embittered tone. "I seem to recall asking the same of you but those pleas had fallen on deaf ears...I have nothing more to say to you witch no get out of my sight."

Hermione stood trying her best to keep her tears at bay, not even the rain could hide how truly sorry she had been in that moment for not even considering the possibility that Harry might have been mistaken about him.

Never one to give up, the witch tried to reach him once more knowing all too well that he had been beyond her, a good two long years of unjust torture in Azkaban beyond her.

"Reg...please I...I'm sorry..." she began reaching out for him. "I didn't mean to...there was all that evidence pointing to you I wasn't thinking straight..."

"Fuck you." growled Regulus snatching away from her as he placed the rose onto his mother's grave before glaring back at the witch whom had meant so much to him two years prior. "You will always be Potter's whore."

If Hermione had not known any better she would have mistaken him for his father in that moment as Regulus swiftly took his leave of her not in the least interested in reconciliation or even civil communication with her or anyone else aside from The Malfoys.

As she stood alone in the rain looking down at the blood stained white rose resting against the slick gray stone. It was only then that the ramifications of what she had done truly hit her. Regulus loved and trusted her and she turned on him at the first sign of trouble only to ensure that he had been driven further from any type of connection to anyone outside of his own family.

The set up had been quite similar to what happened to his father and Harry's mother whom had been as close as any two people could have been before the inevitable betrayal that lead to their broken relationship and her subsequent murder at the hands of the despot Voldemort.

She didn't doubt for a moment that just as Voldemort had done to Snape all those years ago, Arcturus would attempt to sway the lonely wizard to his cause and he would have the ultimate means of enticing Regulus into his ranks given that they shared the same blood.

Tears continued to stream down the amber eyed witch's cheeks as she recalled the price her former Potions Professor had to pay in the end to make everything right again and how long he had suffered in the wake of all that had happened before meeting his eventual demise due to the despot and his eerie serpent.

Even if Regulus never forgave her for her betrayal, she vowed to keep him from following the same tragic pattern as his Potions Master father, whom had been the living embodiment of what a lifetime of pain without end could do to a person.


	71. Chapter 70:Embittered Indifference

**_Chapter 70: Embittered Indifference_**

 ** _{A/N: Here's Another Update._ _...Just got off work...figured I'd continue with the story...}_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 ** _{"_ _Feeling down 'n' dirty, feeling kinda mean...I've been from one to another extreme...This time I had a good time, ain't got time to wait...I wanna stick around till I can't see straight...Fill my eyes with that double vision...No disguise for that double vision...Ooh, when it gets through to me, it's always new to me...My double vision gets the best of me...Never do more than I, I really need...My mind is racing, but my body's in the lead...Tonight's the night, I'm gonna push it to the limit...I live all of my years in a single minute..._ _"}, Foreigner_**

 _Unknown Pub, Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World..._

 **N** ight fall had been no better with the increased rain as a less than thrilled Regulus Snape made his way through the infamous wizarding alley notorious for bad elements within the magical world. Seeing Hermione Granger again after all those years locked away behind the iron gray bars and equally gray stone of his prison cell had only infuriated him. She had not given him a second thought following his false conviction and now that Potter's lies had been exposed she figured she could just show up unannounced and worm her way back into his life. For the longest time Regulus had fancied himself in love with the amber eyed witch, whom had commanded his attention ever since their first meeting in the old brothel house in the very place he had been dead set on returning to, tucked well within the infamous Knockturn Alley.

The eldest son of Severus Snape wanted nothing more to do with the likes of Harry James Potter or Hermione Granger, or any Weasley for that matter. He had his fill of playing hero to a group of idiots whom had been so easy to manipulate that he didn't wish to waste his efforts in pointing out just how stupid they truly were.

Wanting nothing more than to forget about his less than thrilling experiences with the golden trio, Regulus turned his attention to what he knew best. Despite all of the issues he had with his vices before his entanglement with Hermione, the young raven haired wizard had been quite content with picking up where he left off.

If only to erase the memory of his former love interest from his mind entirely.

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 _Several Hour Later..._

Daybreak had been on the horizon by the time Regulus had come to finding that not only had he been in bed with a rather beautiful service girl, but he had been in bed with two willing women whom had been eager to join him from the moment he arrived. Apparently, his previous visits had given him a reputation due to the word of mouth from several of the women whom had "serviced" him in the past.

Regulus smirked reaching over one of the sleeping girls whom had been a brunette sleeping on her side with her head resting against the right side of his chest. He grabbed the half empty bottle of Ogren's finest and smirk to himself before noting the shifting of the second beauty whom had been a fiery red head. She too had taken to lying with her head rested against his chest but on the left side.

It appeared that the younger Snape had not lost his touch so to speak when it came to pleasing women, at least there had been no complaints when it came to his vast line of sexual partners. Despite his prowess in bed, he never saw fit to become attached to any of the women he had taken to bed, until he met Hermione that was and sadly, his previous notion of keeping his emotional distance had been spot on when it came to her as well.

Regulus downed the rest of his firewhiskey before lying back down between the sleeping whores and looking up at the ceiling. He had not been much for comforts in terms of emotion given his abrasive nature but he wasn't immune to heartbreak. Despite his best efforts, Hermione Granger had managed to do what only his father had done before her crushing any further notion he had in having something other than sheer loneliness to look forward to.

 _{"Do not Despair."}_ said a rather familiar voice breaking the silence that had fallen since morning arrived.

Regulus looked around puzzled as to why he had been hearing the same strange voice that seemed to guide him while he had been locked away.

"Who are you?" he asked aloud forgetting that he had company.

 _{"As I've told you before, I am an interested party...given the relatively new aspect of our relationship, although it isn't as new as you'd like to believe."_ } replied the voice again.

The raven haired wizard had not known what to believe in that moment but he found something comforting about the voice...an odd notion given the strange happenings but it was the truth of his feelings none the less.

{"Why..."} began Regulus unable to come up with the proper words within the confines of his mind.

 _{"Why am I so familiar to you?"}_ asked the voice within his mind. _{"As I've said before you are family...perhaps it gives you comfort to know that you are not alone in this world twisted by the elevation of the charlatan that is Harry James Potter."}_

The mention of Harry Potter enraged Regulus and it appeared that even the phantom in his mind had taken note of it.

 _{"I would appear that you have no such notion to offer devotion to Harry Potter in the wake of his so called deed in Slaying the former Dark Lord."}_ it said.

"Fuck Potter." said Regulus not at all concealing neither his hatred nor his spoken words.

 _{Perhaps you and I can come to an agreement about how best to deal with the conniving little shit."}_ said the voice inside Regulus Snape's mind. _{"I propose we met...in person...to discuss what might be done concerning the matter of your imprisonment as well."}_

Regulus grew silent for a few moments. While he had been curious about this strange voice whom had been his only source of communication ever since he'd been tormented in Azkaban, he had been skeptical about it being anyone other than his own fractured psyche attempting to iron out his vastly varying feelings.

As he lied quietly in the semi darkness of his rented room, he came to the conclusion that he had nothing left to loose aside from hearing this person, if it had indeed been a real person out and if not, a few more bottles of booze and another warm body to cuddle up with for the night was definitely required to shake the echo of Azkaban from his mind at least for a little while.

{You pick the place."} said Regulus interested in getting the matter of the mysterious voice settled no matter what the outcome.

{"Meet me at Hogshead Inn in Hogsmeade Village."} replied the voice. {"I shall be awaiting your arrival, Regulus."

"You know my name, but I didn't catch yours." said Regulus once more forgetting himself in terms of his company.

 _{"All of your questions shall be addressed at the meeting place."}_ replied the voice. _{"See you then."}_

And with that the connection, if there ever had been any had been severed leaving Regulus to his own thoughts, or rather his more sane aspects of thought just as the morning light began to do away with the darkness of the former night sky.

Once thing he took away from the exchange had been the fact that he would only get the answers he was seeking if he ventured to Hogsmeade and to the Hogshead Inn.


	72. Chapter 71:The Meeting Of The Minds

**_Chapter 71: The Meeting Of The Minds_**

 ** _{A/N: Here's Another Update._ _...}_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 ** _{"_ _People tell me I'm just like my daddy...People tell me I'm just like my daddy...People tell me I'm just like my daddy, my daddy...'Cause I lie like I'm lying on a rug, Get my hands a little dirty, no blood...It's hard to love the devil, he's a hater...a dirty hypocrite manipulator...You're rick of royalty, a dangerous mix..._ _"} Like My Daddy, Empire Cast..._**

 _Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World..._

 **T** he onset of crisp cool air had been the least of Regulus Snape's worries as he headed out of the well noted seedy brothel in search of the meeting location where he had been to come face to face with the apparent figure that had been "advising" him ever since he'd been locked away in Azkaban. The raven haired wizard had not been bothered in the least by anything the dangerous location could throw at him given his already infamous temperament and well documented skill in terms of magic. Severus Snape had done well by him in terms of training if nothing else it seemed as he moved briskly through the scent of urine and rot that had accompanied one when making trips to the dismal dark wizarding alley.

In the past, he might have felt some trepidation about visiting with someone he had never even met, he might even have taken care to use a few counter measures should the worst come to past. As it so happened, he was spoiling for a fight and would not hesitate should whomever appeared attempted to try something that wasn't to his liking.

He had been well on his way to the meeting point following a resounding clap of thunder which had shaken a few of the more worn buildings near where he originally stood.

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 _Hogshead Inn, Hogsmeade Village, Wizarding World..._

Regulus Snape landed in Hogsmeade not in the least thrilled to be back in the place where some half brained idiot had taken it upon himself to attack him, but he was curious if nothing else to solve the apparent mystery of the strange voice that had been guiding him all this time. He made his way toward the Hogshead Inn not even attempting to look in the direction of puzzled onlookers whom were either comparing him to his late father or recalling the public image of the unmasked dark wizard known as Arcturus.

The old wooden door to seemingly ancient pub, where many a dark wizard and Slytherin alike frequented, let out an eerie squeak as Regulus made his way inside none too thrilled about the kicking up of dust nor the curious glares from those whom had been in attendance.

He had approached the bar, noting the odd looking old man with a rather gruff beard, an impressively towering height and icy blue eyes pouring drinks inside dirty glasses.

"Well if it isn't Snape Jr." he hissed not in the least hiding his contempt.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Regulus narrowing his eyes at the elder wizard.

"I knew your father quite well." replied the barkeeper. "Threw him out on his arse once for eavesdropping when he'd been about your age."

"Fuck you." said Regulus his obsidian gaze never leaving the elder wizard.

"Got his cheek too...never figured you'd be a Yank." said the barkeeper reaching behind the counter and forcefully slamming a small round glass onto the counter-top. "What will it be, boy?"

"Since you know so much about my old man..." began the young raven haired American wizard. "Why don't you tell me?"

The old barkeeper smirked. It had been a long while since anyone had been remotely entertaining when it came to guests and he supposed the American son of the late Severus Snape had been the exception.

"Ogren's finest." he said pulling out the bottle.

"Accio Whiskey..." said Regulus with a wave of his hand before he tossed a small pouch of galleons onto the bar. "You can keep the glass old man, there's no telling how long it's been since you've washed it."

The barkeeper smirked once more in admiration of the young Snape's gall.

"Make that two bottles Aberforth." said a voice coming from behind Regulus as he popped open the bottle of whiskey in his grasp and took a sip. "Accio Whiskey..."

The American son of Severus Snape turned in time to see the bottle levitate off the back shelf and into the black gloved hand of a young wizard whom had been strikingly familiar. Regulus nearly spat out his drink when he got a real good look at the wizard known as "Arcturus" standing only a few meters away.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me." said Regulus noting just how identical they were in terms of looks.

"Shocking isn't it big brother." said Arcturus with something of a smirk filed across his pale face.

"You...you can't...why the fuck do you look like me?" asked Regulus narrowing his eyes at the troublesome dark wizard.

"It's only natural considering we share the same mother and father." replied Arcturus. "Please allow me to formally introduce myself...I am Lucius Arcturus Prince, your younger twin brother."

"No fucking way...your...you speak like him." said Regulus blown away by the shocking revelation that the masked dark wizard giving Harry Potter so much grief had been his own flesh and blood...his long lost twin brother. "You...you should be dead."

"I am very much alive as you can see." replied Arcturus with a smirk. "As are you big brother...the sons of the serpent together again...and a force for the world to be reckoned."

Regulus sighed.

"So it was you that did Freckles in." he said realizing now why neither Harry nor Hermione believed he had been innocent despite Potter intending to set him up to keep him away from Hermione to begin with.

"Weasley was merely a means to an end." admitted Arcturus.

"You've got no argument from me on what became of him." replied Regulus taking another drink. "But I don't much like being set up."

"You can thank the one you refer to as Geek boy for that." replied Arcturus. "He was apparently desperate to keep you away from...your little girlfriend."

"She ain't my girl." replied Regulus in annoyance as he took another drink from his bottle.

"But you'd still fuck her just the same." replied Arcturus.

Regulus rolled his eyes.

"Invading my mind isn't a good start to any sort of relationship." he replied still very much annoyed. "And to answer your question...yes I would she was a damn good piece of ass."

"Brutally honest...just like him." said Arcturus in awe of his elder brother.

Seeing the twins side by side, one would note the differences quite easily. Regulus had been much large in terms of muscle mass and lacked the refined scars that Arcturus had. The younger twin had been almost sickly in his appearance and his cheeks quite gaunt. His eyes had been brown where Regulus' had been obsidian.

There was even the issue of their vastly different accents. Regulus was raised in America and had more of a brutish personality where Arcturus seemed to be quite refined and in particularly cold in his manner due to his upbringing.

"Come brother...this place is much too crowded to speak plainly." said Arcturus ushering Regulus toward the door.

With a shrug of his shoulders and the bottle of whiskey gripped firmly within his rough pale hand, the curious American raised wizard agreed to hear what his new found "little" brother had to say for himself.

Of course he knew it wouldn't be long before tongues to wagging about his meeting and he could care less, he had been done playing hero as it were and was vastly interested in whatever Arcturus knew about their father's final days.

"Why the fuck not." replied Regulus leaving the Inn along with Arcturus.


	73. Chapter 72:Bonds Of Blood

**_Chapter 72: Bonds Of Blood_**

 ** _{A/N: Here's Another Update._ _...}_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 ** _{"_ _So we can take the world back from the heart-attacked...One maniac at a time we will take it back...Hey Youngblood, doesn't it feel like our time is running out...I'm going to change you like a remix...Then I'll raise you like a phoenix...Wearing all vintage misery...No I think it looked a little better on me...I'm going to change you like a remix...Then I'll raise you like a phoenix..._ _"}The Phoenix, Fall Out Boy_**

 _High Cliff, Icy Mountain Range, Unknown World..._

 **R** egulus stared out over the vast snow filled dessert unsure as to why Arcturus had bothered to bring him to such a place. The younger Snape seemed amused by his obvious inquisition but kept his face neutral. The winds had begun to blow the top layers of fresh snow fall about as they stood on top of a snow covered cliff in relative silence for a few moments. The warmth from the firewhiskey had been enough to stave off the chill that would have filled the older Snape twin but it would only be a matter of time before it lost it's effects and standing in a plan black t-shirt and denim jeans had not been enough to keep it a bay.

"What's the point of this little trip again?" asked Regulus breaking the silence due to his restless nature.

"We've come to pay our respects." replied Arcturus whom had not been effected in the least by the cold as he stood with a rather ghastly expression filed across his scared sallow pale face.

"Pay our respects?" asked Regulus in confusion. "Pay our respects to who?"

"Whom dear brother..." replied Arcturus as he sighed. "You truly do not know do you?"

"If I did I wouldn't need to ask questions." replied Regulus not in the least pleased to be kept in the dark with anything pertaining to their little outing.

Arcturus smiled for the first time since their arrival. It appeared Regulus had not been any more willing to suffer fools than he had, just one more similar trait to illustrate the bond they shared had with their late father.

"I don't suppose anyone's told you how he died." began Arcturus.

Regulus gave his younger twin brother his full attention.

Sensing this, the younger Snape twin continued his rather tragic tale.

"Our father had been gravely injured by the despot known as Voldemort and his pet serpent...I was unfortunately privy to the entire ordeal, but frozen via our father's magic, as it turned out he had no idea that I had even existed and mistook me for being you at the time...when they left his magic failed to keep hold of me and I brought him here...to the very place where I was raised so far from the home he shared with you and mother in North America." explained the dark wizard. "I tried rather unsuccessfully to restore him and had been forced to watch every last moment of his apparent suffering until he died in this icy wasteland two months after the war's conclusion."

"T-Two months?" questioned Regulus unsure he could fathom what his father and younger brother must have gone through. "He survived two months after being attacked by Voldemort's fucking snake?"

"While our father suffered, the wizarding world condemned him...erased his accomplishments and ignored his contributions to saving the sorry hides of each and everyone of those Potter worshipers...Potter the very child whom he saved many a time was propped up as the hero of the wizarding world while it was our father whom had suffered for so long, that contributed to the war's end at the cost of his own life." continued Arcturus balling his black gloved fists.

Regulus had been caught off guard by what he was being told.

"So that there is no doubt of my words..." began Arcturus as he stood face to face with his elder brother transferring the tragic memories of that terrible time directly into the clueless Snape's mind.

The onset of Arcturus' memories of Severus Snape's tragic fate and the message he had meant for his eldest born son had reached him for the first time in years.

 _{"M-My son..."}_ he had said, as the poison destroyed the rest of him and the cold, which had prolonged his life had become bitter and unsustainable. _{"M-My son..."}_

Regulus had dropped to his knees amid the icy snow shaken by the images of his late father's final moments. Tears streamed down his own pale cheeks as he balled his own fists reflecting on the pain his father endured and the memory of the last time he had seen Severus Snape live.

For Nineteen years, the eldest son of Severus Snape carried the anger and confusion from that final night he had been in the presence of the former Headmaster of Hogwarts, unsure of what to make of the man he called father in the wake of the admission of how he came to be and now...all he could think about was how endlessly the broken wizard suffered and whom had profited from his misery.

The anger had returned but it had not been directed at the dying man in the images that flashed before his very eyes.

"So...this...this is how...he..." Regulus struggled to keep a hold on his warring emotions. "S-She...she never knew..."

Arctrus looked at his brother in confusion for a few moments.

"Our mother." explained Regulus. "She never knew that you survived...she never even knew that he had...I had to watch her give up on life waiting for him to return only to find out he couldn't."

As Arcturus had done for him in sharing the final moments with their long suffering father, Regulus shared his final moments with their equally long suffering mother.

He knew Arcturus had never met Elaine Prince and the attachment would not be as strong as with their father due to the time he spent with him but he felt his younger brother deserved to know what happened to the woman that had birthed them into the world.

"She loved him, possibly more than he ever deserved." explained Regulus. "So much so...that she never gave up on him...even at the end."

Arcturus seemed to have been just as affected by the loss of his mother as he had the loss of their father. The images of the beautiful and relatively hopeful woman dancing in the confines of the hospital with her eldest born son, mistaking him for her long dead husband.

"They deserved better." he said stepping away from Regulus and turning his attention to the snow.

"Yes." agreed Regulus not moving from where he had been on his knees in the snow. "They did."

Arcturus turned his attention back to his elder brother.

"It seems you have a choice to make." he said. "Join me in avenging our father's name...and ensuring that the wizarding world along with that fraud Harry Potter know their place...or you can continue on as you've always done...but I warn you brother or not I will no longer tolerate you hindering in my plans."

Regulus said nothing as Arcturus turned his attention back to the snow.

"For whatever it is worth to you brother...I am glad that we have finally found each other." said the dark wizard before disapparating away from the icy region and leaving Regulus behind to ponder his next move.

Regulus kneeled in silence as the images of his father's final moments continued to reply in his mind. He did in deed have a choice to make as it were and it seemed destiny could no longer be ignored in favor of folly.


	74. Chapter 73:Longstanding Regrets

**_Chapter 73: Longstanding Regrets_**

 ** _{A/N: Here's Another Update._ _...}_**

 ** _My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S._**

 ** _{"It hurts to breathe...Well every time that you're not next to me...Her mind's made up, the girl is gone...And now I'm forced to see...I think I'm on my way...Oh, it hurts to live today...Oh and she says, "Don't you wish you were dead like me?"..._ _"} Santa Monica, Theory Of A Deadman_**

 _Cemetery, Cokeworth England, Muggle World..._

 **H** eavy rain poured upon the various rows of gray headstones sticking up out of the ground close in their layouts. A lone figure moved about in the darkness of the semi-night sky. The forest green and silver trim over black school robes had been quite evident as the figure stopped at a particular tombstone, a sorrowful expression filed across his unseemly pale face. Emerald green eyes filled with agony scanned the name of the deceased as a trembling pale hand moved across the water slick stone.

One by one images of a life long passed filled his mind from the first encounter to the last night of harsh drunken criticism in the wake of a broken heart. The time Severus Snape spent with his long suffering muggle wife had replayed in full view for the youngest Potter boy as if he had been reliving each and every moment in that instant.

"Elaine..." said the voice of a seemingly saddened thirteen year old wizard as he appeared to be in mourning.

The images of a woman with sorrowful brown eyes and tears streaming down her cheeks when last he saw her returned. He had been unbelievably cruel to her and to their thought to have been only surviving child until he had come in contact with a young and already badly emotionally damaged Lucius Arcturus.

His second born son had still been alive and twisted by the foul treatment of that idiot Igor Karkaroff and loathsome school. The thirteen year old balled his fists as he reflected on how that smug bastard had smiled in his face during the Tri-Wizard Tournament knowing full well that he had in possession of his second born and no doubt ensured the boy suffered.

Arcturus had Elaine's eyes and her borderline "hero-worship" opinion of him that seemed to have no end.

Regulus had been reduced to living in darkness following his false imprisonment at the hands of the idiotic Harry Potter.

Everything seemed to be spiraling out of control all over again and this time the youngest born son of the fallen wizard had been at the helm. Albus Severus sighed growing tired of the chaos even in this life, his sons deserved better than to be painted as monsters by the world that had taken so much from them even before they were born.

His past mistakes seemed to have been passed down to them as well as the hatred he garnered before his demise via the despot's serpent. The slow and agonizing death he suffered two months after the war's end with only a disgruntled and emotionally jilted Arcturus for company had only made his mistakes all the more real to him.

Still overwhelmed by his own thoughts and subsequent memories, Albus Severus continued to kneel before the tombstone of the late Mrs. Severus Snape. He owed her so much...and yet had given her so little in return for her love and devotion. In the end he had taken it upon himself to break her heart rather than admit how he truly felt about her and how he would never again get to see her due to the way the war had taken a turn for the worst as far as he had been concerned.

His cold and cruel words to her continued to ring in his ears as the rain beat down on him.

Unbeknownst to the preoccupied boy, another thirteen year old wizard had escaped the confines of Hogwarts castle and followed close behind him in a bid to understand the strange goings on that pertained to the rather solitary wizard.

As if sensing the intrusion, the green eyed boy drew his wand not in the mood to deal with anyone outside of the need for brute force as he became rather defensive of the deceased woman's grave site.

"Come out...spying isn't your strong suite..." he growled tightening his grip on his wand.

Realizing that he'd been caught, Scorpius Malfoy made himself known to the defensive fellow Slytherin boy known as Albus Severus Potter.

"No need to do anything rash, Severus..." he said raising his hands in the air to illustrate that he meant no harm. "I was simply curious as to why you'd venture to such a place."

"You should not be here." growled Albus Severus narrowing his emerald eyes at his apparent best friend.

"Neither should you, all things considered." replied Scorpius. "Yet here we are...in a muggle cemetery...at the grave of a muggle woman might I add."

"Leave." warned Albus Severus in a rather dangerous tone. "I do not wish for company."

"Sev...tell me what's going on." said Scorpius concerned. "You've been acting stranger by the minute...I don't understand why you had to break out of school to come all the way to this place..."

"STUPEFY!" shouted Albus Severus knocking the unsuspecting Malfoy wizard out cold.

Scorpius Malfoy collapsed onto the ground as rain continued to pelt the small muggle town soaking his face and robes in the process.

"You're getting to be as nosy as Draco." replied Albus Severus before turning his attention back to the grave of Elaine Prince. "Our boys are lost...and it is my doing...I may not have been able to keep my promises to you before but I will not fail in this...I will find a way to reach them."

Touching the stone one last time, the now tearful young wizard made his peace with the death of the woman from his past, the woman whom had been his wife and the mother of his twin sons Regulus and Lucius named for his two very best friends from his youth.

Albus Severus Potter carefully lifted the unconscious son of his former godson Draco Malfoy off the hard wet ground and carried him back to Hogwarts Castle.


End file.
